Diet and Nutrition

Maria Sharapova Stays Fit Training Six Days a Week

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova has officially joined the ranks as one of the few elite athletes to achieve a career Grand Slam after she won the French Open Saturday. She is only the tenth woman in tennis history to win the French, U.S. and Australian Open, as well as Wimbledon.

Sharapova defeated her Italian contender Sara Errani 6-3, 6-2 after a grueling 89-minute final match. This win will put her back on top of the world tennis rankings, which is the first time she’s held the number-one spot since June 2024.

While Sharapova has achieved much success in her nearly 10-year career, it hasn’t come easy. The Russian star admits she’s dedicated to her training regimen that includes four-to-five-hour-a-day workouts six days a week with only one day for rest and recovery. (more…)

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Dana

Burger King Introduces Bacon Sundae as Part of Summer Menu

This summer, Burger King is giving the term ‘baconator’ a whole new meaning. It’s taking this savory, smoked treat and adding to an ice cream sundae. You heard right: bacon and ice cream in one dish.

We reported earlier that Burger King was testing out their bacon sundae at a few select locations in Nashville, Tennessee. And apparently after seeing a fair amount of success, the fast food giant announced this week that it will be debuting the unlikely dessert at stores nationwide starting Thursday, June 14.

The sundae won’t be showing up alone; it’s bringing several meaty friends along with it. As part of a special summer menu, Burger King is also introducing a handful of chicken, pork and beef sandwiches as limited-time offers. (more…)

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Dana

A Carrot Had More Nutrients 50 Years Ago Than it Does Today

It’s true, the fruits and vegetables most Americans eat today are less nutritious than the ones our grandparents ate. A landmark 2004 study at the University of Texas established that in a fifty year time span, six out of thirteen nutrients in a general selection of produce had measurable declines of important nutrients. The losses ranged from 6 to 38 percent, and included protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B2, and vitamin C. An illustration of this loss is that for every orange a person ate fifty years ago, you need eight to get the same nutritional value.

The environmental factor responsible for this is soil depletion. When farmers began to utilize enhanced crop production techniques after World War II they got greater yields, faster growing times, and pest resistance. The tradeoff was that the soil was quickly stripped of nutrients and not allowed a rest period to regain them.

Because of this, each successive generation of fruits and vegetables has been less nutritious than the last. This should not give you an excuse not to eat your spinach, though, because today’s fruits and vegetables are still very nutritious, and much healthier than many other foods. (more…)

Posted on June 12, 2024 by SarahS

Take Five to Live Light Campaign Promotes Weight Loss Drug Contrave

While we’re weary to promote any kind of ‘quick fix’ weight loss pill, the “Take Five to Live Light” campaign is something we’re a little more willing to get behind.

The campaign is part of a study that’s investigating a new weight loss drug called Contrave, which has been in development for the last several years.

Contrave is a combination of two medications – naltrexone and bupropion – which have long-been prescribed to patients to aid weight loss. While the two haven’t been found dangerous on their own, the study is seeking to confirm that pairing the two won’t have any adverse affects on patients.

Steven R. Smith, M.D., scientific director of the Florida Hospital, believes that most people can’t achieve long term weight loss through diet and exercise alone, saying “the Light Study is an important clinical research study evaluating the cardiovascular health outcomes of Contrave, which is designed to reduce appetite, increase metabolism, and control cravings and overeating behaviors.” (more…)

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Dana

Fast Food Can Make Us Depressed

Ever suspected that your food may be affecting the way you feel? Namely, your mood? Well new research out of Spain has confirmed a link between fast food consumption and depression. Even though fatty foods can temporarily boost our mood, the longterm affects are doing more harm than good on our mental – and physical – health.

The study observed 8,964 participants over the course of six months, especially taking into account their eating habits. Researchers found that those who consumed fast food were 51 percent more likely to develop depression. And among that group, those who ate more fast food were at even greater risk for suffering from depression.

The study also revealed the type of person who is most likely to be a junk food eater. Researchers found a trend among single, inactive people with poor eating habits, such as eating minimal fruit, nuts, fish, vegetables and olive oil. This demographic, said researchers, also tended to be smokers who worked more than 45 hours a week. (more…)

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Dana

The Digest Diet vs Flat Belly Diet

If you’re looking for a new book to help you in your weight loss journey, we may have a new suggestion for you – or two.

Much buzz is surrounding the recent release of the diet book “The Digest Diet,” which is written by Reader’s Digest Editor-in-Chief, Liz Vaccariello. You may recognize Vaccariello’s name from two of her other successful projects,the “Flat Belly Diet” and “400 Calorie Fix” – two books she co-authored while working for Prevention Magazine.

Because “The Digest Diet” (2024) and “Flat Belly Diet” (2024) can seem similar at first glance, we’ve done a side-by-side comparison of the two to set the likenesses and differences straight.

While both books claim to help dieters lose weight, they utilize different approaches and keep different principles in mind. We’ve broken the comparisons up into categories starting with their respective claims. (more…)

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Dana

Food Waste Equals Money Gone and Weight Gained

You either have it or you don’t: that animal instinct that causes your insides to die little when you waste a bite of food.

I have it. Blame it on my family. Growing up in a home that heartily encouraged a happy plate, I’ve been programmed to take only what I can eat and finish it all – licking my plate when necessary.

Clearly, it hasn’t worn off. Today as an adult, I still can’t stand to throw away food. It’s so wasteful. I will likely forever view it as money gone in the trash. But you know what? That’s not such a bad thing because it makes me more conscious of the money I spend on food and how I can avoid waste.

Another reason not to waste food? It can be healthier for your waistline. Here’s how.

(more…)

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Dana

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Double the Risk of Suicide with Poor Body Image

Another risk for dieters has shown itself with body dysmorphic disorder. Researched published this spring shows that the chance for suicide in those with the disorder increase by 50 percent. The study, published in the journal Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, theorizes that because it takes a high pain tolerance to essentially starve oneself, that person also has the pain tolerance to undergo a painful suicide attempt. Researchers also reported that 25 percent of people with the disorder have attempted suicide and 75 percent thought their lives were not worth living.

To have body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) means to have an obsession with a real or imagined flaw in one’s body image. This condition has long been known to be dangerous and life threatening. It’s also known as “broken mirror syndrome,” a reference to BDD sufferers’ tendency to stare at themselves in the mirror for hours agonizing over a small defect in their appearance. They often become somewhat delusional, for instance seeing great amounts of fat on their body where there is not.

Although gender stereotypes suggest that women are more likely to have this disorder, the gender ratio is fairly equal. Both men and women with BDD commonly see flaws with their facial features, skin, or weight. Patients sometimes seek to improve their appearance by extreme dieting, cosmetic surgery, or excessive amounts of exercise. (more…)

Posted on June 11, 2024 by SarahS

Lack of Sleep Leads to Poor Eating

Are you a night owl who struggles to put down the fork in the wee hours of the morning? New research shows that the later we stay up, the likelier our bellies and our brains are to start craving junk food, which gives us all the more reason to hit the hay earlier.

Combined research specifically shows that sleep-related hunger and food cravings are caused in part by hormones that help drive our appetite. These tendencies, researchers propose, may be what’s leading to weight gain. When our bodies are sleep deprived, areas of the brain are stimulated that seek out pleasure – for some in the form of junk food. Sleep deprivation may also contribute to weight gain since drowsiness can fog our brain’s ability to squelch these cravings.

One of the studies, which took place at Columbia University, utilized functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor the blood flow in the brains of 25 volunteers. Researchers used the scans to compare brain activity following a normal night’s sleep – about eight hours – to a night in which they were allotted just four hours. (more…)

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Dana

How to Cook with Almonds

When I was little, I used to sit by my dad while watching TV and he’d always be crunching away on handfuls of raw almonds. I’d asked for one or two every once in a while out of curiosity, and remember never liking the things. Their bland taste just did me wrong. It would literally take me one full minute to gnaw on a single almond before getting it down. 

But these days it’s a whole other story. I eat almonds on a daily basis and have for years. I love their texture, earthy flavor, health benefits and how versatile they are. Almonds are not only delicious, but they’re also a great food for dieters as they’re a good source of protein which can help squelch hunger.

What are almonds? Almonds are the seed of the almond tree, which is native to the Middle East and South Asia. The seed or “nut” portion of the almond is what we actually consume, while the outer hull is removed before packaging. (more…)

Posted on June 10, 2024 by Dana

Quit Smoking by Eating More Fruits and Vegetables, Study Says

If you’re struggling to put down the cigarettes, there’s a new tool that may be able to help you quit – and it’s probably not what you think.

Rather than the usual pill, patch or support system, researchers recently found that kicking the habit may be as simple as reaching for some apples and broccoli. This according to a new study published last month in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research that showed eating fruits and vegetables may help some people quit smoking.

Turns out fruits and veggies are the answer to being healthy once again.

This is especially exciting for the health community as researchers backing the study feel confident enough in the results to report that they may have identified a new tool to help people put an end to their smoking addictions.  (more…)

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Dana