Diet and Nutrition

Six On-Hand Super Foods and Recipes You Can Use Them In

I’ll be the first to admit I’m cheap. I take pride in keeping a $200 grocery budget every month for my husband and I. And although it can be difficult at times, I love knowing that I’m saving us money that can be spent elsewhere. It’s almost a little game to see if I can make it to the end without going over. 

In addition to being cheap, I also like things simple. So when I come across stories like these from The Today Show about super foods that I likely already have on hand, I get all sorts of elated. Eating healthier without spending more money? Sign me up.

With the help of registered nutritionist Kari Glassman, we can easily determine what super foods are likely lying around our kitchen and why they’re so exceptionally healthy for us.

Starting with apples. Apples contain  fiber and Vitamin C, but they’re also high in flavonoids – the compounds that give fruits and vegetables their color. One of those compounds is quercetin, which is especially high in apples. Quercetin helps control our blood sugar level, acts as an antihistamine, and can even help prevent heart disease. Enjoying apples raw is enjoyable. But baking and topping them with ice cream is even better. Try this Apple-Whatever Cobbler for a quick and satisfying 400-calorie fix. (more…)

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Dana

Using Your DNA, Newtopia Provides Effective Weight Loss Results

Losing weight is difficult, but with the right tools, the journey can be a bit easier. One program that takes weight loss beyond just diet and exercise is Newtopia. This program involves using your DNA to determine if you have certain genetic variations that may affect how you lose weight. The three different genes that are examined are the body fat gene (FTO), appetite gene (MC4R) and the eating behavior gene (DRD2). You submit your DNA through a simple saliva test that is examined by Newtopia. Once your results are determined, you will have a blueprint for losing weight.

President and CEO of Newtopia, Jeff Ruby, spoke with me about the importance of an individualized program. “We’ve learned through extensive research that one size does not fit all when it comes to health and weight loss. We are pioneering an age of personalized health coaching based on your genes so you can lose weight and live healthier – for life,” he said. “We designed our simple, painless genetic profile to determine whether clients possess one of three possible genetic vulnerabilities to weight gain.” Once your genetic vulnerabilities are known, you can have a nutrition and exercise program designed around that which will help you effectively lose weight. (more…)

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Descygna

‘The Beauty Detox Solution’ Claims Our Skin Reflects More Than Just Our Diet

You’ve heard the saying we are what we are eat. (In that case, paint me a peanut butter-covered banana.) Well, a new book called ‘The Beauty Detox Solution’ is bringing new evidence to this argument, and even suggests that our skin reflects more than just our diet.

Author Kimberly Snyder – clinical nutritionist and renowned celebrity beauty expert – wrote the book not only from a place of passion, but also from a place of experience. After enduring beauty troubles herself, Kimberly traveled the world to study ‘age-old beauty secrets’ and discovered that what you eat is the ultimate beauty product.

And what’s more? The health of our internal organs can also be apparent in our skin – a science referred to as ‘face mapping.’ In a recent appearance on The Today Show, Kimberly shared about the connection between laugh lines and our lungs; lines across our forehead and our colon; and the consumption of probiotics to treat acne.

Beyond face mapping, Kimberly goes a step further and recommends a beauty and diet regimen that rids your body of toxins so you can look and feel your best. While we haven’t seen the diet firsthand, based on several Amazon reviews, it’s strict, but effective and mostly raw. And includes a lot of green smoothies. (more…)

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Dana

Woman Turns Weight Loss Journey into Work of Art

At her heaviest, Julia Kozerski weighed 338 pounds. After viewing her wedding pictures in 2024, the first pictures she’d taken in ten years, Kozerski started a weight loss and introspective journey. Uniquely, she captured it all in an impressive photography essay called “Half.”

Upon seeing her wedding pictures, Kozerski said, “I didn’t see that happiness. I saw someone scared of the camera — that wasn’t me.”

Kozerski has struggled with weight her whole life. She explained how her family lived off of fast food and their weak attempts at weight loss through the years always failed.

“I don’t think we knew the steps to take, we had never been introduced to diets or proper food,” she said.
The wedding photos were the final straw for Kozerski. She said she woke up one day and declared, “I’m done being sad.”

Kozerski took her first steps towards health by starting a weight loss blog and using an online calorie tracker. She was able to quit drinking soda and stop eating out. Kozerski added more fruit and vegetables and also added simple exercise like walking.

(more…)

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Lacy

Healthy Recipes for Your Mad Men Premiere Party

The new Mad Men premieres this Sunday. Do you have your party planned yet?

If not, don’t fret. We’ve got you covered with a spread of six healthy recipes that will dazzle your guests from start to finish and send them straight back to the era when cigarettes, cocktails and male chauvinism reigned supreme.

For starters, make your party 60s-themed, wardrobe and all. Think high-waisted skirts, fancy blouses, over-the-top updos, and classic jewelry for the ladies. And all-out ritz for the guys: suits, collared shirts, shiny shoes – the works. If your guests dress theme-appropriate, it will help set the mood all the more. Some props might also be fun. Think clutch purses and long gloves for ladies, hats for the guys, and fake cigarettes to smoke, since we obviously don’t condone actual smoking.

And now for the menu. This spread takes classics and gives them a healthy twist, starting with appetizers and a cocktail. How very Mad Men appropriate. (more…)

Posted on March 24, 2024 by Dana

How to Cook with Jicama

Ever felt afraid of cooking with unfamiliar ingredients, like jicama? Well fear not because we’re digging into the health benefits of this versatile food, and showing you several cooking techniques and recipes so it can become a healthy staple in your kitchen in no time.

What is it? 

Jicama (pronounced HEE-KA-MUH) is a round, bumpy root vegetable that’s actually in the legume family. It can be recognized by its brown, paper-like skin and white starchy flesh. It’s similar in texture to an apple or celery and takes on the flavor of the dishes it’s added to incredibly well, much like water chestnuts in Asian food. Jicama is also commonly referred to as a yam bean or Mexican turnip or potato.

Health Benefits:

Jicama has fewer carbohydrates than a potato, making it a great option for those watching their weight. And it’s also high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and contains a lot of water to help you stay hydrated. (more…)

Posted on March 24, 2024 by Dana

What to Eat Before Sleep, Sex and Sweat

Trying to eat the right things throughout the day can be challenging enough. Can we say office donut party? Yeah, I’m a sucker for the chocolate-sprinkled variety. But it can be even more difficult to remember when we should stop to eat. Because there’s more to healthy eating than just food; time matters as well.

A recent story on The Today Show featuring nutritionist Joy Bauer gave us the dish on all the things we should and shouldn’t be eating and drinking and at what points throughout the day, in order to increase our performance for various activities like exercise, sleep and sex.

First up, exercise. If you’re like me you’re up and at the gym early leaving little time for a snack. But according to Joy that’s OK. If you’re moderately exercising for about an hour or less, she says you don’t need to ‘fuel up,’ especially if you’re trying to lose weight. However, if you are hungry and need a boost before hitting the gym, Joy suggests grabbing a banana for several reasons: 1) it’s portable; 2) it contains potassium, which we lose when we sweat; and 3) it’s fairly low in calories.

If you aren’t a pre-gym eater, a beverage with caffeine might be a better option like coffee or tea. Drinking caffeine 30 minutes or so before a workout has been shown to give your body a boost to help you move longer and perform better. (more…)

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Dana

Coach Yourself Thin is Ideal for Weight Loss Candidates Ready to Invest in Themselves

By Dani Stone

Coach Yourself Thin: Five Steps to Retrain Your Mind, Reclaim Your Power, And Lose The Weight For Good is a weight management guide from authors Greg Hottinger, MPH, RD, and Michael Scholtz, MA, who created popular online weight loss programs like Biggest Loser Club and Prevention’s Flat Belly Diet. Their goal? To change your eating and exercise habits and help you avoid quick-fix mistakes by encouraging you to look at the root of your weight problem and diet challenges, then help you overcome your personal barriers. The book is part guide, part pep-talk and focuses on that inner voice inside all of us.

This may be their first collaboration on a book, but Hottinger, a registered dietitian and Scholtz, a professional weight loss coach, are not newcomers to the diet and fitness world. After meeting 15 years ago at Duke University Diet and Fitness Center, the two went on to create the health and wellness consulting firm NOVO Wellness, as well as the website.

In the opening chapters of Coach Yourself Thin, they explain, “We have observed that our most successful clients use a similar set of behavioral skills and strategies that empower them to make consistently healthy choices. We want to share these important and powerful tools with you so you can shift your thinking.” (more…)

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Health Buzz

Recipe Search Engine Yummly Changes the Way We Search for Food

Picture this: A picky eater at a restaurant, perusing the menu for something specific (obviously not a man). Something salty but not too salty. It should have some serious kick. And a side of something sweet sounds good, too. But she sees no options in sight.

Then, out of nowhere, a helpful waitress sits down beside her and listens to her requests. She scribbles something down on her notepad, disappears to the back, and returns moments later with the guest’s plate. And? It’s exactly what she wanted.

This obviously doesn’t happen in real life. (Trust me, I used to be a waitress. Mind reading was not one of my services). But what if it happened online when you were looking for recipes? Well in a sense, that’s exactly what Yummly does.

Yummly is a new recipe search engine utilizing some of the web’s best food blogs and recipe sites to bring exactly what you’re looking for right to your food-hungry fingertips, almost effortlessly. (more…)

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Dana

Dr. Melina’s Calendar Diet is the Newest Cutting Edge Diet Plan

Does the thought of having to miss out on all the holidays or special events bum you out and make you want to quit a diet before you even start?  Dr. Melina Jampolis, M.D. and Karen Ansel M.S., R.D., with Ami Jampolis M.S. have found a way for you to lose weight while being able to enjoy the holidays and special occasions in your life. It is called The Calendar Diet and combines cutting edge research with real-life practical advice.

Using the research and advice and combining them with a three-pronged approach makes it possible for you to succeed year-round. The first part of the three-pronged approach is step by step diet advice, the second involves recipes based on seasonal ingredients and produce, and last it covers a season-by-season exercise plan.

As well as using the three-pronged approach it also provides additional sections to help you be more successful with your weight loss.  It includes an extensive doctor-designed weight loss plan, 52 seasonal recipes (enough for every week of the year!) that cover every season, realistic diet suggestions for every holiday and seasonal diet trap of the year, behavioral tips, strategies and exercises to keep you on track all year long.  It also includes a total body conditioning workout customizable to fit your lifestyle. (more…)

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Kristina

Food Deserts Still a Problem Despite Let’s Move Initiative

You’ve heard of deserts. You’ve heard of food (obviously). But have you heard of food deserts?

It’s a recent phenomenon brought to the nation’s attention by First Lady Michelle Obama, and it’s essentially areas throughout the country lacking quality food distributors. Cities without Whole Foods? (Gasp!) Yes, they do exist.

As part of her Let’s Move initiative, Mrs. Obama has worked to bring more healthful food to neighborhoods lacking supermarkets. And in order to make this happen, she reached out to major retailers, foundations, and small businesses alike. But whether or not progress has been made depends on how you measure success.

According to a recent article from NPR, various studies are showing that even though more grocery stores are popping up, they still aren’t the best quality. And furthermore, even consumers who aren’t used to high-end food markets with wide selections of food still have reasonably high standards for the produce they buy, as they should. So, it doesn’t matter if a woman who has a quality market two blocks from her home, or a woman who has limited access to a supermarket walks past a selection of bruised, mealy apples. The fact is, they’re still bruised mealy apples and neither woman is going to pick one up no matter what their previous exposure to quality produce was. (more…)

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Dana