Diet and Nutrition

Petition the FDA to Add Sugar in Teaspoons to Nutrition Labels

Be honest, do you read nutrition labels? I have to admit I read them more and more in a quest for better health. I try to pay attention to sodium, sugar, fat and calories and I’m especially focused on the ingredient list. These labels hold the key to the ingredients within the foods we eat and are often more telling of the quality of food than the often confusing nutrition facts.

As Americans we don’t follow the metric system, so understanding the number of grams of various elements in our food can prove difficult; for some it can make the information downright useless. To make that label even more relevant, there is a petition circulating at Change.org requesting that the FDA add the number of teaspoons of sugar to the “per serving” section on nutrition labels. They currently have 117 of 18,000 desired signatures.

Implementing this idea can help greatly with understanding just how much sugar is in the foods you are considering. Added sugar is one of many catalysts in the current levels of obesity we see throughout the country.

To see how helpful this change might be, I asked our resident registered dietician Mary Hartley if reflecting sugar measurements in teaspoons would be beneficial. “Yes it would be helpful if added sugar were separated from naturally occurring sugars in fruit, milk and some vegetables,” Mary said. When asked if seeing the sugar content in grams can make a difference in curbing obesity, Mary stated, “Obesity is a multifaceted, complex problem. I would not expect any single intervention to make a big difference, although many small actions do add up. It certainly wouldn’t hurt.” (more…)

Posted on August 6, 2024 by Descygna

How to Cook with Cauliflower

Is it just me or was cauliflower the one vegetable I wouldn’t touch as a child? Well, to be fair, I wouldn’t go near creamed corn either; the two repelled me faster than the phrase, “Here are your weekly chores.” But, just as I’ve matured over the years, so has my palette, and cauliflower has grown to become one of my favorite vegetables to prepare and eat. Plus, it’s healthy!

Health benefits: If you can get past the white color and interesting texture of cauliflower, you’ll begin to reap its benefits, which are plenty. For starters, cauliflower is excellent for healthy digestion which is common among cruciferous vegetables because of their high fiber and water content.

Cauliflower is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin K, both of which can help prevent inflammation. It’s also high in folate and several b vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin and thiamin. And last but not least, cauliflower contains one of the highest amounts of glucosinolates, second only to broccoli, which can promote detoxification in the body and even help prevent certain types of cancers. (more…)

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Dana

HealthBuzz August 3rd: Best Olympics Commercial, Fab 5 Diet Tips, and No-Cook Recipes

Before you go out and enjoy the first weekend of the month take a look at healthy news from DIR and our friends. Plus, cool off with some no-cook nutritious recipes this weekend, too!

Best Olympics Commercial: Nike’s Find Your Greatness Jogger

Out of all the commercials aired during the Olympics, Nike takes home the gold for the most motivating commercial. Unlike Nike’s traditional commercial athletes, they use a 12-year-old boy, Nathan from London, Ohio. Nathan sends a powerful message and Nike has outdone themselves.

Saturday Morning Drills: Legs of a Dancer

This week’s Saturday Morning Drill features our fitness expert and Booty Barre founder, Tracey Mallett. Tracey teaches us how to tone and shape our legs to get them looking like a dancer’s legs. Watch the video now and start toning your legs in a fun way!

3 Eating Tips from the Fab Five Gymnasts

The U.S. women’s gymnastics team, nicknamed the “Fab Five,” just won a gold medal earlier this week. Do you want to know how to eat like an Olympic gymnast? We share the “Fab Five” eating tips. (more…)

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Samantha

How to Eat Gluten Free: Breakfast

By no means am I a gluten-free expert, but I am an enthusiast learner. And as more and more people in my life begin to consider gluten-free as a new way of life, my natural tendency is to want to do the same. Call me a follower, I prefer extremely health curious.

As we highlighted earlier this week, a new study from the Mayo Clinic reported that nearly 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease, but around 1.4 million don’t even realize it.

This statistic made me wonder if I had a sensitivity to gluten myself as I often experience such symptoms as bloating and fatigue after eating an especially high-carbohydrate meal. As a result, my curiosity led me to where it usually does – the kitchen, to see if I actually could make this type of major diet change work after all.

It turns out, I have hardly a clue about what eating gluten free looks like. But that’s where a little research and trial and error come into play. So in my quest to know what gluten-free eating is all about, I’ve decided to do a three-part mini series on how to eat gluten free without missing out on taste. The first of which is breakfast; lunch and dinner are soon to follow, naturally. (more…)

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Dana

10 Surprising Sources of Vegetarian Protein and How Much You Need

Protein may have gotten a bad rap in more recent years due to low-carb, high-protein diets. Some of those diets boasted that you could eat all the bacon, sausage, or steak you wanted and still lose weight. We now look at that behavior as wildly unhealthy. In fact, earlier this summer research published suggesting that low-carb diets are linked to heart disease. Protein is actually a very valuable nutrient, you should just be sure to recognize the difference between a healthy lean protein and a processed or fatty animal source.

Protein is an essential nutrient and many of us are not getting enough healthy protein in our diets. As well, our sources of protein aren’t nearly as diversified in our diets as they could be.

Why is protein so important? Madelyn Fernstrom is a TODAY contributor and the director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She has explained that protein is one of the big three macronutrients; carbohydrates and fats are the other two. Protein is essential for maintaining the body’s muscle mass and its normal growth. Furthermore, protein is vital in maintaining a healthy immune system, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system. (more…)

Posted on August 2, 2024 by Lacy

Frozen Yogurt vs Ice Cream: Which is Healthier?

Unlike most summer dessert eaters, I crave frozen treats all year-round and simply can’t get enough of their sweet, creamy texture. But because I indulge so frequently – at least once a week – I try and keep my choices healthier by avoiding full-fat ice creams and keeping the toppings on my ‘froyo’ tower to a reasonable minimum.

Nutritionally speaking, frozen yogurt is perceivably healthier than ice cream because it typically contains live active cultures, and is often available in low- or no-fat and reduced-sugar varieties. Ice cream, on the other hand, is typically laden with fat and rarely comes in low-sugar flavors. Let’s keep track of the points, shall we?

Frozen yogurt: 1: Ice cream: 0.

In terms of quality, most ice cream and frozen yogurt shops have equally high standards when it comes to their ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s, for instance, is well known by now for its die-hard commitment to only the highest quality ingredients, and even tries to source local ingredients when possible. Now that’s a sweet deal: One point for each. (more…)

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Dana

One in 141 Americans Has Celiac Disease But Doesn’t Realize it

In having two friends over for dinner last night who are both gluten free, I realized two things: One, it can be extremely difficult to accommodate a gluten-free diet. And two, perhaps I’m slightly gluten intolerant myself as I’ve had similar symptoms to the ones they were listing off before changing their diet. 

And after seeing a report this morning from RTT News that most Americans have celiac disease but are unaware of it, I’m starting to wonder if I’m among the gluten intolerant after all.

A new survey from the Mayo Clinic found that about 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease, but approximately 1.4 million are unaware they have it. Or, 1 in 141 Americans is living with the condition without knowing it.

Researchers ran blood tests on 7,798 people over the age of six who’d previously participated in a nationwide survey from the CDC between 2024 and 2024. Findings revealed that 35 participants had celiac disease – 20 were women, 29 were Caucasian, and 29 were entirely unaware of their condition. (more…)

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Dana

Feed Your Hair With Real Food for Better Hair Days

Have you ever told someone that you don’t wash your hair every day? Their faces snarl, sometimes they even make a noise indicating their disgust. For someone like me with very, very coarse and curly hair, daily washing isn’t a necessity. If anything, it’s doing more damage than good considering how much shampoos can dry out your hair, strip shine, and wear down the general health of each strand.

Shampoo isn’t the only thing wrecking your hair, a greasy fast-food habit can be just as destructive. The health of each strand of hair shows more than just your showering regimen, it’s an indicator of your total wellness.

“The condition of your hair reflects your nutritional status as well as your overall health,” said Dr. Jessica Wu, Daily Glow‘s Skin + Beauty Expert, Los Angeles dermatologist, and author of Feed Your Face. “If you’re feeding your body plenty of protein and other essential nutrients, your hair is more likely to be strong, shiny, and easier to style. On the other hand, certain dietary deficiencies or imbalances can make hair weak, brittle, difficult to style, or even change color. If you’re not eating the right foods, your hair can get dull, dry, and thin.”

Yes, once again, what you’re eating shows up in more places than the mustard stain on your shirt or the bulge around your belly. Your hair is taking a beating every time you opt for fries over a salad or a Coke instead of a water. Your hair is a reflection of what you eat, making it even more important to be mindful at each meal.

Dr. Wu broke out some impressive science to explain why our hair needs specific amino acids to ensure more than an occasional good hair day. (more…)

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Natalie K

Miley Cyrus Tones Up with Pilates, Inspires New Fitness DVD

Fans of the little Miley Cyrus that was once a bright-eyed, innocent Hannah Montana can officially mourn her loss as an older, more mature version of the mega star has officially stepped out.

On Monday, the 19-year-old star tweeted a picture of herself looking quite grown up in a cropped white shirt and sheer, low-slung skirt. And we must admit, she’s looking pretty amazing as of late.

But cute outfit aside, we noticed her long and lean figure and washboard abs right away, which led us to wonder what the star has been up to lately when it comes to her diet and fitness routine.

We recently reported that Cyrus went gluten free earlier this year as a result of a lactose and gluten allergy. This change, coupled with a continued fitness effort, resulted in a noticeably trimmer figure.

Although this led some to speculate she was suffering from an eating disorder, the star defended her weight loss saying it was natural and purely a result of removing gluten and dairy from her diet – not from starvation. (more…)

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Dana

Kashi’s New Steam Meals Make a Healthier Dinner for One

Kashi has just launched a new product line. Instead of adding a new breakfast cereal or another on-the-go granola bar, they’ve added a whole new line of easy-to-prepare steam meals. The bags come microwave-ready so all you have to do is find it in the freezer aisle, throw it in the microwave, and serve.

These steam meals come in four different flavors, each containing an average of 35 grams of whole grains, 17 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and only 9 grams of fat. Different flavors vary. Each are the same in that there are no artificial ingredients and they’re all minimally processed. The bags come in a single-serving size making it easy for you to not over indulge, however, multiple bags will need to be bought if you plan on serving the whole family. Listed below are the four different flavors currently available.

Sesame Chicken

This meal contains natural white and grilled chicken, 7 whole grain sesame pilaf, carrots, edamame, red peppers, and roasted green beans. It’s all topped off with a spicy citrus sesame sauce that seems to be not too heavy nor not too light. The nutritional facts are 35 grams of whole grains, 17 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and 9 grams of fat (guideline is 3.5 grams or less). The meal has 300 calories, which is inline with nutrition guidelines for a meal like this. It does slightly exceed the 600 milligrams or less guidelines for sodium. (more…)

Posted on August 1, 2024 by Danielle

6 Ways to Eat Like a Skinny Person

Think people who maintain a healthy weight avoid junk food or are slaves to the gym? You may be right, but there’s a missing link you should know about. In fact, the way you eat can be just as important as what you eat, as evidenced in a study from Cornell University. During the study, researchers watched 213 diners at Chinese restaurant buffets and they found some fascinating differences in the ways thin and overweight people ate.

Want to eat like a skinny person? These tips should help:

Choose Wisely. Thinner study participants poured over food choices before filling their plates. Choose only foods you enjoy and that satisfy you—then leave the other stuff off your plate.

Chew Slowly. A difference of only three chews per bite separated the thin from the overweight in the study, but the difference isn’t as small as you think. In fact, increased chewing per bite of food has been linked to lower body mass index. (Your eating speed may also affect your diabetes risk; read more.) Chewing impacts satiety, so take some time with every bite. And be sure to check in with yourself throughout the meal, registering your hunger and fullness levels using the Hunger Scale.

Forget the Fork. Could chopsticks be a get-slim secret? The study certainly points to a difference—heavier participants tended to use forks to shovel in the food, while slender eaters slowed down their eating pace with chopsticks. (more…)

Posted on August 1, 2024 by BestLifeDiet