As smartphones continue to be an inherent part of life and grow as a primary source of entertainment—particularly among young people—it leads to a decrease in physical activity, experts say. In a recent study presented at the American College of Cardiology Latin America Conference 2019, researchers concluded that college students who used their smartphones five… Continue reading Smartphone Use and Obesity
Category: Food
Growing Blueberries in Honor of National Blueberry Month
It’s time to celebrate. July is National blueberry month so enjoy some of these nutritious berries and consider growing a few plants in your landscape. Don’t let a lack of space or poor soil stop you from growing blueberries. Simply plant a few blueberries in containers and enjoy their spring blooms, fall color and tasty… Continue reading Growing Blueberries in Honor of National Blueberry Month
What You Need to Know About Probiotics
Probiotics are not only live microorganisms found in supplements and some fermented foods such as yogurt and pickles, but they have also been found to have a variety of health benefits. These benefits include vitamin K and B production, the breakdown of insoluble (indigestible) fiber, immune system support, the improvement of mental health, improvement of… Continue reading What You Need to Know About Probiotics
How to Take Care of Your Digestive Health
Usually, we don’t pay much attention to our intestinal health until we experience some discomfort that requires a visit to the doctor or a prescription. Since we often focus only on weight and fat loss, we overlook other key factors that are important for our well-being. Several studies have shown that one-third of the world’s… Continue reading How to Take Care of Your Digestive Health
How to Be Food Safe at The Barbecue
As weather gets warmer and the days get longer, we want to gather with friends and family for evenings around the grill. However, with warmer temperatures also comes an increased risk of foodborne illness. According to Stop Foodborne Illness – a national, nonprofit, public health organization dedicated to preventing illness and death from foodborne pathogens… Continue reading How to Be Food Safe at The Barbecue
7 Ways to Beat Those Sugar Cravings
Sugar cravings are a formidable opponent to anyone trying to stay on a nutritious path. Sugar cravings can attack in the middle of the day or night, and it takes the will power of a comic book hero to say no to such temptation. But what if we can identify and address the underlying reason… Continue reading 7 Ways to Beat Those Sugar Cravings
What You Need to Know about The Best Diet of 2019
There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about what we should eat to stay healthy. With so much contradiction, it’s hard to know which foods are best. But recently, U.S. News & World Report set the record straight when it named the Mediterranean-style eating pattern the Best Diet Overall alongside the DASH diet (an… Continue reading What You Need to Know about The Best Diet of 2019
How Many Calories? Keep An Eye on The Menu
Food and beverages consumed away from home make up one third of our daily intake, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Furthermore, the FDA says, research shows that people often underestimate the number of calories they’re taking in when they eat out. Since May of 2018, the FDA has required certain types… Continue reading How Many Calories? Keep An Eye on The Menu
Spring cleaning? Be sure to give your kitchen a food safe makeover, too!
Spring time is cleaning time! So, while you’re using that pent-up elbow grease to get rid of wintertime dust and debris, make sure your kitchen is food safe, too. From sponges to drawer handles to the refrigerator, the kitchen is the one room in the house most likely to be bacteria-tainted. Food is more easily… Continue reading Spring cleaning? Be sure to give your kitchen a food safe makeover, too!
Instagram “Health Foods” That Are Surprisingly Unhealthy or Caloric
From Whole Foods to pricey health food stores, cafes, and coffee shops, certain foods and ingredients have become trendy among health and calorie counting foodies. Who has not heard of matcha, Acai, cold-pressed juice, and gluten-free baked goods? In a perfect world, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could find food and drinks that are… Continue reading Instagram “Health Foods” That Are Surprisingly Unhealthy or Caloric
Unintended Arithmetic of Dieting
What many people don’t realize is that they employ the eating strategies of Sumo Wrestlers and expect to lose weight. Instead, the law of unintended arithmetic kicks in. Rather than losing weight, their so-called “diet” actually causes weight gain, creating a rounded shape more similar to a Sumo Wrestler than the desired hourglass or V-shape. Stay with… Continue reading Unintended Arithmetic of Dieting
Eat Healthy – But Safely, Too
If you’re trying to eat better with the aim of improving your health or losing some pounds, that’s great. But besides the health benefits of food, you also need to monitor the safety of what you eat. And that holds true as well when the food isn’t considered healthy. Here, Stop Foodborne Illness, a nonprofit… Continue reading Eat Healthy – But Safely, Too
Winning Tomatoes Add Vibrant Color and Flavor to Gardens and Meals
Impress your guests with a garden, container and dinner table filled with tasty and colorful winning tomato varieties. Small-fruited varieties are perfect for salads and snacking and those with larger fruit ideal for slicing, canning and sauces. These winning tomatoes were tested nationally by All-America Selections (AAS), a non-profit plant trialing organization. Volunteer judges evaluated… Continue reading Winning Tomatoes Add Vibrant Color and Flavor to Gardens and Meals
High Fat? Low Fat? The Newest Diet Controversy
It used to be that we avoided eating fat, ignoring everything else. Remember candy ads that boasted how the high sugar treats were “fat free”? Since then we’ve come to realize the dangers of sugar (often found in “fat free foods”) in our diets. The biggest trend in weight loss has many variations—the high-protein Atkins… Continue reading High Fat? Low Fat? The Newest Diet Controversy
Statins Are More Effective for Those Who Follow the Mediterranean Diet
Here’s one more reason to follow the Mediterranean diet. For those who have already had a heart attack or a stroke, the combination of statins and Mediterranean Diet appears to be the most effective choice to reduce the risk of mortality, especially from cardiovascular causes. It is the result of an Italian study conducted at… Continue reading Statins Are More Effective for Those Who Follow the Mediterranean Diet
A Spinach Smoothie? Spinach Juice? Yes, and Here’s Why!
A spinach smoothie? Spinach juice? Yes! These are the best ways to obtain the antioxidant lutein, according to research from Linköping University, Sweden. High levels of lutein are found in dark green vegetables, and researchers at the university have compared different ways of preparing fresh spinach in order to maximize the levels of lutein. The… Continue reading A Spinach Smoothie? Spinach Juice? Yes, and Here’s Why!
Food Labels Have Effects on Consumption and Product Formulation
Over the past two decades, labels such as the U.S. Nutrition Facts Panel on packaged foods, calorie counts on national restaurant menus, front-of-pack labels encouraging healthier eating, and “low-sodium” or “fat-free” identifiers have been developed in order to promote healthier choices. But do they work? A new Food-PRICE systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies,… Continue reading Food Labels Have Effects on Consumption and Product Formulation
Hazelnuts Improve Older Adults’ Vitamin E and Magnesium Levels
Older adults who added hazelnuts to their diet for a few months significantly improved their levels of two key micronutrients, Vitamin E and magnesium, according to a 2018 study done at Oregon State University indicates. In the study, 32 people age 55 and older ate about 57 grams of hazelnuts – 2 ounces or about… Continue reading Hazelnuts Improve Older Adults’ Vitamin E and Magnesium Levels