Diet and Nutrition

Fourth Case of Mad Cow Disease Confirmed in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed a case of Mad Cow disease in a dairy cow in Fresno, California. The dead animal tested positive for the disease and experts are now completing an investigation to ensure no other cows have been infected. Thus far, no sign of the disease has been detected in the cow feed, which is a positive sign.

Mad Cow, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE – is a fatal disintegration of the brain and nervous system. Although it’s most commonly found in cows, it can also infect humans if they ingest the meat of a cow with the disease.

One such instance occurred in the U.K. close to 30 years ago, when nearly 200 hundred people were infected with the disease after an outbreak. One extreme case left one man blind, deaf and immobile from 2001 until his death in 2024.

More than 4.4 million cows were slaughtered in the 1980s to control this outbreak after close to 180,000 cows were found to have the disease.
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Posted on April 25, 2024 by Dana

Pizza Hut Takes Fast Food Too Far With New Cheeseburger Stuffed Crust Pizza

To say Pizza Hut is going a little overboard with their new stuffed-crust trend is a gross understatement. And the gross is implied in more ways than one. 

Still on the wake of rolling out their hot-dog stuffed crust pizza in the U.K., the fast food giant is staying on theme and introducing a entirely new variety of stuffed crust pizza: The Crown Crust, which got its name from its ‘crown-like’ appearance.

This new menu item features the customer’s choice of either mini cheeseburgers or chicken nugget-like ‘gems’ stuffed around the crust. The cheeseburger variety comes with beef, veggies, and Pizza Hut’s special sauce. And the chicken version comes with barbecue sauce and green peppers.

This new pizza is currently only available in the Middle East, and we hope it stays that way. The U.S. doesn’t need another fast food nightmare to fend off. We’re still coming to terms with the hot dog-stuffed pizza and Burger King’s Bacon Sundae – both of which took fast food to new epically disastrous proportions. (more…)

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Dana

Jonah Hill Puts Back on Weight After Losing 40 Pounds Last Year

It’s not often that we do two sets of before and after pictures, let alone in reverse. But such is the case with Hollywood funny man Jonah Hill who dropped an estimated 40-plus pounds last year but has since put it all back on, and then some.

Twenty five-year-old Hill, who has starred in such movies as Super Bad and Moneyball, slimmed down for his role in  the new film 21 Jump Street – a police action comedy that was just released in March.

To slim down for the role, Hill reportedly consulted a nutritionist and personal trainer to shed the pounds since going it alone wasn’t working, and he even gained a little weight in his early attempts.

After slimming down, however, Hill reportedly told The Los Angeles Times that his new, trimmer self ‘hurt’ a bit when he indulged in something unhealthy, and that he was growing to enjoy his new, healthier lifestyle. (more…)

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Dana

Emma Roberts Flaunts Slim Figure at Coachella Music Festival

Emma Roberts hasn’t always been the type to make a scene, generally playing coy in interviews and on photo shoots. But all of that seems to be changing now, especially since she showed off her trim, toned body in the barely-there outfit at the Coachella music festival last weekend.

Roberts, 21 and niece of Hollywood megastar Julia Roberts, was spotted at the outdoor music festival in Indio, California, wearing a shredded tube top and cheeky, rolled down denim shorts. The festival – which hosted big name artists like Bon Iver and Florence and the Machine – also drew in such stars as Katy Perry, Vanessa Hudgens and Paris Hilton, who also donned equally revealing attire.

Perhaps the controversy stemmed from Roberts being commonly viewed as a proper young lady of Hollywood royalty, or because of her naturally innocent look. But whatever the case, she raised eyebrows when she stepped out in her scandalous dress. But interestingly enough, other celebrities her age who also dress to turn heads, including Miley Cyrus, don’t catch much flack for their risqué wardrobes since it’s almost old hat and expected. (more…)

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Health Buzz

Weight Loss Pill Forskolin Promises to Speed Metabolism and Fight Fat

Whatever Dr. Oz says on the topic of health is gold, and a new weight loss supplement called forskolin is no different.

Dr. Oz recently featured the new naturally-derived weight loss pill on an episode of his popular daytime show, with Lisa Lynn as an expert on the topic. Lynn is health and fitness expert and former personal trainer to Martha Stewart. She’s also a regular on the Dr. Oz Show and says she has been prescribing Forskolin to all of her clients who are trying to lose weight as a natural, fast-acting way to boost the metabolism and fight fat.

Forskolin – which Dr. Oz calls ‘lightning in a bottle’ – is derived from a plant that’s in the mint and lavender family. And scientists are reportedly just confirming that it has benefits for weight loss.

The pill helps enhance the metabolism if, Dr Oz. says, your metabolism is sleeping. It works by igniting the metabolism almost instantaneously, almost like turning the jets on high in a jacuzzi. And when that happens, the body begins to burn off fat stores and enable users to lose weight. (more…)

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Dana

Grace Goodman Lost 115 Pounds Through Weight Watchers and Running

If you’d have met Grace Goodman just a couple years ago, you would have encountered a completely different person than who she is today. In a matter of months, Grace has managed to completely transform herself from the inside out, and not just from a physical standpoint, but from an emotional and mental standpoint as well.

Grace, who is 25 and lives in Overland Park, Kansas, spends her days working as a social media and marketing specialist. But when she’s not at the office, her life revolves around another love and passion: her personal health and fitness.

Growing up, Grace was seemingly always off and on a diet and had been overweight her entire life. “Ever since I was little, it felt like someone was putting me on a diet,” she said. And she continued to struggle with her weight through college, trying different programs a few times but never quite sticking to it.

She reached a low point when she weighed 290 pounds at the age of 22. Grace was suffering from many health issues and wanted a way out. And she thought that the solution was Lap-Band surgery.

But after consulting her doctor about the procedure, she not only found out that it wasn’t covered by insurance, putting it out of reach financially, but also that she was so young that healthy eating and exercise were a better alternative to achieving her healthy weight.

Grace said something clicked and she left the doctor that day with a new attitude and perspective, admitting that no one had ever told her she was capable of getting healthy through diet and exercise alone.

So instead of Lap-Band, Grace joined Weight Watchers and truly committed herself to the program, believing in herself for perhaps the first time ever. And to help reach her goals, she was also paired with a trainer – Chris Hemmen of Prairie Life Fitness – who was a major motivator and support throughout her weight loss journey. (more…)

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Dana

New Study Shows Food and Sexual Cravings Are Determined by the Way Our Brains are Wired

Finally, a little comfort that our inability to refuse cheesecake at any given moment is more than just a ‘self control’ problem.

A new study from Dartmouth College has found that the things we crave – from decadent food to sex – depend on the way our brains are wired, thus suggesting that giving into temptation has more to do with genetics than sheer will power.

Researchers studied 58 Dartmouth freshman females, 48 of whom returned six months later for a follow-up behavioral session. Participants underwent an fMRI session within the first month of arriving at college. To ensure a pure state of mind, the women were asked to refrain from eating, consuming alcohol or caffeine, or smoking for two hours prior to their session. Before the scan began, the freshmen were weighed, had their BMIs calculated, and then asked a set of questions to assess their current state of hunger and activity level.

The participants’ brains were then scanned while they were shown a variety of images, including animals, food, people drinking alcohol, people in sexual scenes, and environmental scenes. (more…)

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Dana

How to Cook with Flaxseed

Flaxseed is one of my very favorite foods, and ironically enough, one of my husband’s least favorite foods. I think he’s afraid of its nutritional superpowers. But for me, it’s one of the few foods I can’t do without and even travel with as it keeps me well, regular.

With flaxseed’s tremendously high fiber content it keeps my body running like a well oil machine when I’m incorporating it into my diet along with other healthy foods and plenty of water.

What is flaxseed? It’s estimated that flaxseed, much like chia seeds, have been cultivated for thousands of years, originating in Babylon. They’re a tiny little seed that comes from the flaxseed plant, which when in full bloom produces a beautiful, bright purple flower. Flaxseed can be consumed as a whole seed, milled seed, or extracted oil.

Health benefits: First and foremost, flaxseed contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, which promotes healthy digestion. But they are also high in omega-3 fatty acids – or ‘good fats’ –  that contain phytoestrogens. These anti-inflammatory omega-3s have been shown to help boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, reduce blood clots, increase “good” HDL levels, lower triglyceride levels, and protect arteries from plaque buildup. Flaxseed also contains lignans, which have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities, and also promote regular digestion and have been shown to help prevent breast cancer.  (more…)

Posted on April 22, 2024 by Dana

Starbucks To Yank Bug-Based Dyes After Thousands Protest

I’ll have a double venti Strawberry Frappuccino, light on the whipped cream and no bug juice, please.

Yes, you can have that now, but only since Starbucks was prompted by thousands of namely vegetarian protesters who were appalled after discovering the coffee giant was using bug-based dyes in some of their drink and food products.

The bug in question is a tiny white insect called a Dactylopius coccus, which when crushed, produces a brilliant red dye known as cochineal. And although this suspicious substance has only become public knowledge recently, it’s apparently been used for coloring foods and makeup for centuries.

Starbucks wasn’t breaking any laws, just vegetarian hearts, who were unknowingly consuming the bug. But cochineal is approved by the FDA and is all natural. Still, some were especially concerned since the dye has been shown to cause allergies and asthma with severe reactions in some instances.

The news leaked when a Starbucks barista reportedly sent a picture of the ingredient label for their Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino to the website ThisDishIsVegetarian.com, which then reported the chain’s use of the bug. (more…)

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Dana

Vegan is Love Strikes Controversy with Strong Message Aimed at Kids

A new children’s book is taking some heat for its controversial message aimed at kids, which says that eating vegan is the loving thing to do.

The book is called “Vegan is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action,” and its author and illustrator, Ruby Roth – a young, enthusiastic vegan activist – hopes to teach young readers not only about veganism as a diet choice, but also as a moral choice.

Roth explains that Vegan is Love expands upon the message of her popular first book “That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals,” in which she describes how our daily diet choices affect not just our local communities, but our world as a whole.

In a video promoting the book, Roth says that “If we want to move toward an era of solutions, where the planet is healing, people are fed and healthy, there is good in the way we do business, and a reverence for the well being of all living things, then all we have to do is live that life ourselves.” The life she is referring to is about putting our love to action with ‘the food we eat, the clothing we wear, the money we spend, and the entertainment choices we make.’

Roth explains that although Vegan is Love is a children’s book that’s easy to understand, at its core, it’s about ‘democracy, supply and demand and engaging ourselves in the public realm.’ (more…)

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Dana

Anne Hathaway Drops 16 Pounds in 3 Weeks for New Movie Role

Actress Anne Hathaway has been receiving a new kind of attention lately. Instead of turning heads for her flowing locks, toned physique and stunning red carpet looks, she’s been setting the media abuzz with her new boy-style haircut and gaunt figure for her upcoming role in a new film.

Hathaway will play Fantine  – a prostitute who sells her hair to provide for her young daughter – in a new on-screen version of the classic French novel, Les Misérables. The film also stars Hugh Jackman, and the pair have both lost a noticeable amount of weight for their respective roles. Anne’s, however, is made more drastic by her new finger-length do which reveals her now more prominent cheek bones.

According to reports, Hathaway has lost a total of 16 pounds over the course of three weeks in order to speed film production. To achieve her weight loss, Anne’s followed a strict 500-calorie a day diet consisting mostly of ‘a few apples and some protein.’ Compared to the general recommended calorie range for women of 1,800 – 2,000 calories a day, this a major restriction and isn’t healthy to sustain for any length of time. (more…)

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Dana