[Edited to remove non-germane material - ed.]

Link to full article (June 2003)]

GH Institute Advice: New Diet Aids

Can diet products really help you win the battle of the bulge? The Good Housekeeping Institute looked at two of the latest aids:

1. Calorie Minus, chewable tablets that contain a blend of dehydrated plant fibers that act as fat blockers, soaking up 28 percent of fat before you digest it.

Advice: The Good Housekeeping Institute nutritionist recommends that instead of using these tablets, you should eat high-fiber fruits, vegetables and whole-grains.

The manufacturer of Calorie Minus says Good Housekeeping's calculators are incorrect and that its technique closely mirrors the human digestive system.

2. Peel Away Pounds, adhesive patches that contain seaweed extract and high concentrations of iodine. supposedly to stimulate the body's metabolic rate.

Advice: Good Housekeeping's nutritionist says iodine has no effect on what you weigh, and overdosing can be dangerous.

GH Institute Tests: Sharper Image and Brookstone Products

High-end retailers like Sharper Image and Brookstone are winning the hearts -- and wallets! -- of consumers. Sales for both companies are up, despite the sagging economy. But do their gadgets perform as promised? The GH Institute put several to the test:

[omitted - manicure system from Sharper Image - ed.]

Brookstone Grill Alert Talking Remote Thermometer ($75), a stainless steel probe that signals when your grilled meat or fish is almost ready and then again when it's done.

What our testers found: Our pork roast came out perfectly, and our food pro heard the signal from three backyards away! (It will work up to 300 feet from the grill.)

[omitted - Personal Warm+Cool System from Sharper Image - ed.]

Lunch in a Bottle

Lots of diet-conscious people are trying to lose weight by drinking their lunch in a convenient, fruity, nutritional beverage. But the jury is still out on whether these vitamin-packed drinks will help you lose weight. Good Housekeeping Institute's nutrition expert says that you may still be hungry after drinking one. Here are two new concoctions:

Snapple-a-day ($1.29 to $1.49 per bottle). This soy-based drink is crowded with 24 vitamins and minerals, 7 grams of protein and just 210 calories. Available in three flavors: tropical blend, strawberry and peach.

Nouriche ($1.59 per bottle). This yogurt smoothie Yoplait is fortified with 20 vitamins and minerals and 9 grams of protein and has 290 calories.

How to Grill a Perfect Burger

The sizzle and the smell of a burger on the grill is enough to get a whole neighborhood salivating. But making a perfect burger is not as simple as you might think. GH food director Susan Westmoreland, author of The Good Housekeeping Grilling Cookbook, offers some grilling tips:

Don't go fat-free. Buy meat that's at least 10 percent fat. Otherwise, your burger could be dry and mealy.

Don't manhandle the meat. Chopped meat shouldn't be overmixed or compressed too tightly into patties. When you put the burger on the grill (which should be good and hot), resist the temptation to poke, prod or squish it with the spatula.

Hold the salt. Sprinkling salt on raw meat dries it out. So if you must add salt, wait until the burger is in your bun.

Cook to 160 degrees F. That'll help keep your family safe.

Don't put cooked burgers on the same plate as raw meat. The raw juices can contaminate your food.

[Omitted: "Secrets for Selling Your Home Fast" - ed.]

Walking to Lose Weight

In the battle of the bulge, there's no magic pill, but there is a magic number: 10,000. That's the number of steps (which equals about 4.5 miles) researchers say you should walk every day to lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. The typical American walks only 3,000 steps a day! If you walk the recommended amount, you can lose one pound in 10 days.
How to squeeze in an hour of walking into an already busy day? For starters, pace while you're on the telephone. In a 15-minute call, you can walk 1,000 steps. March in place while watching TV, and you can have another 1,000 steps before the local news is over. Thirty minutes of housework is worth 2,000 steps. You can also walk farther each day to buy your lunch.

Try to walk the way racewalkers do -- like you're on a tightrope, one foot directly in front of the other. And swing your arms! Walking is a great weight-loss regimen, and the only gadget you need to invest in is a pedometer.

We have more great tips on walking to lose weight.