With the exception of blood tests for anemia, there are no assessments that accurately appraise your nutritional status. So how do you know if your diet is adequate? Signs that it may not be are – fatigue, depression, PMS. And it may not be external culprits that are to blame, but your bad eating habits. Low Energy – Fatigue A low-carbohydrate weight-loss diet could be the culprit. Skimping on carbs, may leave you physically tired and mentally sluggish. Not getting enough iron or water also may cause fatigue. So Eat plenty of complex carbs to stay energized and mentally sharp while still losing weight. Add iron-rich foods such as oatmeal and spinach, and drink at least eight glasses... [Read more...]
26 Jun
Obesity Facts With 61% of the U.S. adult population considered overweight or obese, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has released a new practical guide to help doctors treat their overweight patients. It consists of a 10-step plan to help the nation’s 97 million obese or overweight adults to lose weight and thereby reduce their risk of illness or death from hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions that have been associated with overweight. Weight loss is recommended to lower elevated blood glucose levels in overweight and obese persons with type 2 diabetes. Clinical Trials Experts evaluated dozens of controlled clinical trials to determine the effect... [Read more...]
26 Jun
Ohhhhhhh Oats! Fibrous oatmeal, for instance, slowly and steadily ushered the cereal’s cargo of carbohydrates into your system as glucose. Your brain snapped up that sugar from the bloodstream and deployed it both as fuel to power its operations and as a component of key chemical messengers, the very neurotransmitters that carry thoughts and memories. Oatmeal speeds up your brain and stabilizes your mood, memory and concentration, all without the spiky highs or crashing lows of sugary foods. Oatmeal also supplies ferulic acid. A potent antioxidant lurking in the germ and bran of grains, ferulic acid appears to be a general protector of brain cells, keeping them supple and responsive by... [Read more...]
26 Jun
The Facts on Good Fat’s Fat is an important part of a healthy diet. There’s more and more evidence that many fats are good for us and actually reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. They also help our sugar and insulin metabolism and therefore contribute to our goals of long-term weight loss and weight maintenance. And because good fats make foods taste better, they help us enjoy the journey to a healthier lifestyle. But not all fats are created equal–there are good fats and bad fats. “Good” fats include monounsaturated fats, found in olive and canola oils, peanuts and other nuts, peanut butter, and avocados. Monounsaturated fats lower total and “bad”... [Read more...]
27 May
McDonald’s Nation 12-Year Old McDonald's Hamburger, Still Looking Good The Burger From Hell! Wellness educator and nutrition consultant Karen Hanrahan has kept a McDonald’s hamburger since 1996 to illustrate its nonexistent ability to decay. Aside from drying out and bit and having “the oddest smell,” it apparently hasn’t changed much in the past 12 years. This isn’t the first time someone kept an uneaten McDonald’s hamburger for an extended period of time for the sake of science. Or in the case of the Bionic Burger Museum, multiple burgers for over 19 years. There are even instructions on how to start your own collection of old, self-preserving burgers. McDonald's... [Read more...]
Liquid Calories Liquid Calories Are Empty Calories The average American consumes anywhere from 150 to 300 more calories than they did three decades ago and half of those calories come from what they drink daily. A new study out of John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that reducing liquid calories, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks such as fruit juices, punches, sodas, and energy drinks helps people lose weight and keep it off. Why Are Liquid Calories Important? Americans consume more liquid calories now than they ever have in the past. But unlike calories from solid food, it’s troublesome for people to track how many calories they consume from drinking. The human... [Read more...]
When you go to the movies there are just certain foods that you have to have as a snack. We all know about them. That’s what gets us spending a small fortune at the movie theatres. There is just something about eating and watching a good show at the movies that makes life all good. Let’s review the worst foods to eat while in a theatre. [Read more...] Read More →
