Diet and Nutrition

3 Must-Try Frozen Banana Ice Cream Flavors

If you haven’t jumped on the banana ice cream train yet, it’s time! After trying it for ourselves the first time this summer, we’ve been spinning our wheels to come up with new flavor ideas so we can keep enjoying this healthy, easy-to-make treat.

Banana ice cream is so simple to make. It’s essentially pre-peeled, sliced or loosely chopped frozen bananas whirled into a magical soft serve dessert in a blender or food processor. You can eat it as is and it’s quite delicious, if you enjoy the flavor of bananas. Or you can add in fun toppings like we did this time. (more…)

Posted on August 31, 2024 by Dana

World’s Oldest Woman Turns 116, Attributes it to Lack of Junk Food

The world’s oldest woman celebrated her 116th birthday this past weekend, and we couldn’t help but wonder how she reached the milestone without looking a day over 89.

Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia, received a unique gift this year: a bridge named in her honor in her Georgia hometown. The city leaders were pleased to name the bridge after their Guinness World Record holder, and to highlight their town on the map.

Besse is one of only eight people who have been confirmed to be at least 116 years old. That is one seriously impressive accomplishment. Besse told Guinness World Records that her keys to longevity have been minding her own business and not eating junk food. Hard to argue her logic; clearly her methods work.

While Besse is nearly in a league all her own, many people do live to see higher digits even if they don’t make it to 116. According to GeronGuide.com, there are seven effective health habits of centenarians. Besse’s core habits can be found on the list. (more…)

Posted on August 31, 2024 by Lacy

HealthBuzz August 31: 30 Minutes of Exercise Better Than 1 Hour, Tracy Anderson Attacked in Media, and Breakfast Recipes for Labor Day Weekend

The best part about this weekend is the fact that Labor Day is Monday and many Americans will enjoy their day off observing the holiday. But before the weekend can officially commence, it’s time to wrap up the week with some healthy news. This week’s HealthBuzz includes several stories, including why you should consider ditching soda, how exercising for 30 minutes is better for weight loss than one hour, and breakfast recipes for a healthy four-day weekend.

30 Minutes of Exercise May Yield More Weight Loss Than 1 Hour

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen followed 60 overweight Danish men for 13 weeks. One-third of the group performed 30 minutes of intense aerobic exercise, another one-third of the group exercised for 60 minutes, and the last group was ordered to remain inactive. The study found that 30 minutes of physical activity helps produce more weight loss than one hour.

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? New Research Points to a Magic Number

It seems people are never getting enough sleep in today’s fast pace society. According to a new study, eight hours of sleep isn’t the magic number for sleep anymore. Find out what the new magic number is!

Celebrity Trainer Tracy Anderson Attacked in Media

Tracy Anderson is known for providing her fitness and diet expertise to stars like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow. This week, she came under fire for some statement she made in DuJour Magazine regarding woman and their post-baby bodies. Tracy appeared on Good Morning America to defend her comments. What was her controversial quote? (more…)

Posted on August 31, 2024 by Samantha

Matthew McConaughey Drops 30 Pounds for Upcoming Movie Role

Stars lose and gain weight all the time, so it’s no surprise to see any one actress slink down from 130 pounds to 110 in a matter of weeks for an upcoming movie role. But when the actor at hand is usually bulked up, beefy and the epitome of health, it’s a bit more shocking to see such drastic transformation.

Matthew McConaughey, 42, whose most recent role in “Magic Mike” required nothing shy of masculine perfection, has dropped a considerable amount of weight for an upcoming role.

In a recent interview with Larry King on Ora TV, McConaughey revealed that he’s losing 30 pounds for an upcoming role in the movie “The Dallas Buyer’s Club.” As explained by the actor, he will play a character diagnosed with HIV in the 1980s whose doctors gave him 30 days to live.

Instead of accepting the prediction, however, he began fighting for his life and seeking out naturopathic remedies to try and mend his condition. In the process of doing so, McConaughey explained, he began smuggling medications into the U.S. selling them to people in his hometown of Dallas – hence the movie title, “The Dallas Buyer’s Club.”

Because the actor is usually looking so healthy, bulked up and ripped with muscles, his now gaunt, emaciated physique is a stark contrast to his usual appearance. Of his transformation, however, McConaughey says it’s all part of the job and he doesn’t mind altering his appearance for different roles. (more…)

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Dana

How to Eat Gluten Free: Dessert

Welcome to part four of my “How to Eat Gluten Free” series. In case you missed the first three editions, check them out for some delicious and healthy inspiration in eating gluten free for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t have celiac disease and I don’t adhere to a gluten free diet. However, as more and more of my friends are forced to go gluten free, I desire to know how to cook for them on nights that my husband and I host them for dinner. After all, tacos on corn tortillas get old after four nights in a row.

Additionally, because I’ve noticed feeling sluggish and tired myself after consuming particularly carb-heavy meals, I’ve grown interested in carving some gluten out of my diet just for trial and health’s sake.

With that said, let’s move onto the main event: dessert! At first thought it seems desserts are off limits for the gluten-free eater: no cake, no cookies, no muffins – basically no anything that contains flour. But thanks to the innovation and creativity of several gluten-free cooks and professional chefs, there are now countless options when it comes to enjoying gluten-free desserts. (more…)

Posted on August 29, 2024 by Dana

Vegetarian Diet May be Necessary to Prevent Global Water and Food Shortage

If you’ve ever considered being vegetarian but just couldn’t cut it, you’re not alone. I myself have struggled with going completely meat-free. However, a new report is sending a strong warning that may force us all in that direction.

Findings from water scientists at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SWIW) suggest that if the world’s population neglects to adopt a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years, we may face a global food and water shortage crisis.

Although U.S. meat consumption has reportedly seen declines – estimated to down more than 12 percent by the end of this year since 2024 – that amount still equates to about 165.5 pounds per person per year; or around one half pound per day.

As reported by the Huffington Post, the SIWI suggests that around 20 percent of the protein in our diets comes from animal-based sources. Additionally, unless that drops 5 percent by 2050, there may not be enough food to feed the additional 2 billion people estimated to be alive by that time.

The surprising solution to this global issue? Water supply. All of these warnings stem from the world’s water supply, which is rapidly declining. At the annual world water conference in Stockholm, Sweden, the UN predicted that “we must increase food production by 70 percent by mid-century” to feed the world’s growing population, which will place additional stress on our already-low water supply. (more…)

Posted on August 29, 2024 by Dana

Pro-Anorexia Sites Are Dangerous for Those Struggling with Disordered Eating

If you want to talk about a touchy subject, bring up the term “anorexia” and eyebrows will quickly raise and the room will become uncomfortably quiet. The reality is, there’s a relatively high chance that someone you know has either privately or publicly struggled with an eating disorder. Because so many remain private in their dealings with disorders like anorexia, pro-anorexia or ‘pro-ana websites‘ that provide resources and support – two terms used loosely and subjectively in this context – have become a big presence online, and a big problem from a mental health standpoint. 

Bailey, 29 (who wished to leave her last name anonymous), became anorexic when she was 17, but had always struggled with self image growing up. Though she was never overweight, she felt uncomfortable in her athletic body so she started to severely restrict her diet. Bailey’s 5 foot 6 frame shrunk from 135 pounds to 105 pounds, whittling her hourglass shape to one that she describes as looking “very sick.”

Knowing she needed help after nearly skimming 100 pounds, Bailey sought treatment, which ultimately turned out to be a disappointment. “I found therapy frustrating because it was focused around getting me back up to weight, not why I was doing these things,” she recalls. “I can’t say for sure what healed me, but I believe it was…realizing that I was all I had, so I had to take care of me.”

Now, years later and on the other side of anorexia, Bailey can easily say that pro-anorexia sites do very little good, if any, to actually stem anorexia. “In my opinion, they teach people to be better anorexics – which isn’t a good thing,” she said. What I needed was strengths counseling – a safe arena in which to air my feelings, and support to retrain myself to eat for a healthy life, not an imaginary body.”

As for whether or not she’s fully recovered from anorexia, Bailey said it’s been a process that she thinks may never end. “I still struggle with this at times, and it’s still tough,” she admits. “I don’t think it’s a disease that anyone ever ‘gets over.’ They just have ‘more ordered eating’ than ‘disordered eating.'” (more…)

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Dana

Want a Healthy Kids Menu? Hyatt Figured it Out with For Kids By Kids

I’m kind of a soap box mom when it comes to kid nutrition. I just can’t imagine few things being more important than my daughter’s health and development of her eating habits. Like good manners, potty training, and a wild imagination, they are skills that will last her a lifetime.

Her very favorite foods include avocado, blackberries, shrimp, black beans, and peaches. She thinks dried apricots and pistachios are candy. And on the rare occasion we get a “real” treat, a bite or two of a shared ice cream cone is suffice. Given all of this, imagine how hard it is to take her out to eat with us. Between my refusal to give her fried junk, and her disinterest in eating it, the standard fare of a kids menu leaves a heck of a lot to be desired.

That is, until you visit the Hyatt. I often rave about the breakfast at The Hyatt’s Harvest Kitchen here in Wichita, calling it the best breakfast in the city. It’s the only Harvest in the country, but Executive Chef Paul Freimuth says another is in development in California with plans to expand further. I should think they’d want to – with locally sourced ingredients and attention to quality, the entire menu is like a work of art. While my daughter loves the yogurt bar, fresh fruit, and scrambled eggs on Sunday mornings, the Hyatt is now offering her and other kids many more options at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

This past July, Hyatt introduced its For Kids By Kids menu. It’s a kid-friendly menu that is super healthy, to satisfy parents, and full of foods kids like best, to keep the little ones happy. Hyatt didn’t just dream it up on a whim, they partnered with 11-year-old Haile Thomas, a young chef who is committed to the health of herself and her peers. (more…)

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Natalie K

Jennie Garth Drops to an Estimated 100 Pounds After Stressful Divorce

Marriage is one of the happiest events in a person’s life, which explains why divorce can be one of the most traumatizing. As with most celebrities going through splits, the media has flocked around the dramatic weight loss Jennie Garth has seen since her split from fromer husband and “Twilight” actor, Peter Facinelli.

It’s been five months now since Garth, made famous from her days on Beverly Hills, 90210, split from Facinelli. The divorce came after 17 years together as a couple, 11 of which were as man and wife.

Despite her dramatic weight loss, the star claims that she is taking care of herself and trying to remain a good example for her three girls, Luca, 15; Lola, 9; Fiona, 5.

It’s been estimated that Garth’s 5’5″ frame has likely shrunken to right around 100 pounds, which is around 30 pounds lighter than her pre-split figure.

On a recent episode of her TV series Jennie Garth: A Little Bit Country, the star opened up about how difficult the separation has been.

“When you get married you hope it’s forever and you hope you’re gonna grow old together. It threw me for a loop,” she said. “Any woman or human would feel rejected…With any sort of rejection you are angry that you weren’t enough for that person. I don’t know if I’m angry at myself for not being enough, or if I’m angry at him for not considering me to be enough.” (more…)

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Dana

The Beginning of this True Weight Loss Story Starts with BodyMedia and Jillian Michaels

We love sharing true weight loss stories, and do so as often as we can. Each one is truly inspiring and can always connect with so many of us on so many different levels. It’s hard not to see ourselves in the faces, trials, and successes of each of these individuals.

It’s not often, though, that we get to catch a weight loss story in the act, and we’re excited to do that with Jennifer S. from Wichita, KS. I met Jennifer earlier this year and, like most people, was instantly drawn to her larger than life charisma and personality. Not long after we met, I started seeing her posts on Twitter mention how many calories she’d had in a meal or photos of slimmed down meals. She was trying to lose weight, and going about it in a healthy way.

“I just started eating differently,” she said. With that, her weight loss journey begun at 301 pounds this past February. Today, she’s down 30 pounds weighing in at 270 pounds. As for a goal on the scale, she doesn’t have one. Her attitude there is pretty balanced.

“I just want to be able to be active and play in league sports (like I did in high school) if I want to,” she told me. Jennifer is also looking forward to getting off of her meds for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

When I learned of Jennifer’s weight loss goals this past spring, I knew I wanted to support and champion her journey. But I knew my Tweets would only go so far. That’s when I decided to do something that would help both of us out!

We received Jillian Michaels’ BodyMedia arm band and her new Body Revolution 12-DVD series. I decided to put both of those tools to a true test and invited Jennifer to try them, provided she shared her progress and opinions with us. And that’s what she’s doing! (more…)

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Natalie K

Raw Food Diet Praised for its Disease-Curing Benefits

There are many famous and ordinary promoters of the raw food diet, an eating plan that encourages eating uncooked, unprocessed foods including fruits, vegetables, and some grains, nuts, and seeds. Raw food dieters say that cooking food destroys a lot of its nutritional content, and instead use juicers, dehydrators, and minimal heating of foods.

One recent inspiring story about the benefits of a raw food diet comes from a story in the August 27 issue of the Winnipeg Free Press. Truck driver Dave Conrardy went from 430 to 200 pounds after switching to raw foods, losing 100 pounds in just three months. His kidney condition and type 2 diabetes disappeared, and he stopped needing 18 of the 19 prescriptions he had been taking. Conrardy calls the raw food diet “the most healing diet on the planet” and now no longer drives trucks but gives motivational talks about his new lifestyle. (more…)

Posted on August 27, 2024 by SarahS