Diet and Nutrition

USDA Allows Beef Trimmings into Packaged Ground Beef and School Lunches

Would you like any pink slime in your hamburger, sir? I wouldn’t think so.

But the U.S. Department of Agriculture is allowing this suspicious substance into the packaged ground beef being served in school lunches across America, according to a recent article from The Daily.

Two former microbiologists for the Food Safety Inspection Service, Carl Custer and Gerald Zirnstein, believe they have reason to be concerned about this “pink slime.” Zirnstein discovered the pink matter in 2002 while touring a Beef Products Inc. production facility as part of a ground beef salmonella investigation.

So what is exactly is the stuff? BPI’s ‘Lean Beef Trimmings’ reportedly consist of connective tissue and beef scraps that are normally produced for dog food and rendering and are treated with ammonia hydroxide to kill pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli. (more…)

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Dana

Mars Kisses King Sized Candy Bars Goodbye

Bid farewell to the king; the king-size candy bar, that is. Mars Inc., the maker of Snickers, M&M’s, and many other popular chocolate candies, announced it will stop selling products that contain more than 250 calories.

The Mars company is claiming they have a new nutrition initiative. Along with eliminating the 510 calorie king-sized Snickers bar, Mars will have to make some other changes. The company plans to stop selling any product over 250 calories by 2024. That means the regular-sized Snickers Bar will need a makeover as well, as it contains 280 calories. The company also plans to eliminate trans fats from its products. By 2024, Mars hopes to have cut the sodium in their products by 25 percent from the 2024 levels as well.

The company, whose products also includes the brands Twix, 3 Musketeers, Mars, Milky Way, Dove, Galaxy, Skittles, and Combos is being accused of making these changes just as a way to reduce the amount of expensive cocoa they’d have to use in their chocolate candies. However, the company made a statement regarding its new healthier actions.

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Posted on March 7, 2024 by Lacy

Stephen Colbert Pokes Fun of American Second Breakfast

If you’re familiar at all with Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Colbert Report,’ then you know how much he delights in poking fun at certain aspects of American culture, especially the overindulgent side. So when reports came out recently that there’s a trend among Americans indulging in a second breakfast, he couldn’t help but get his slice of the mockery pie.

Colbert exasperatedly sighed saying “Finally, second breakfast. For too long we’ve been stuck with strict government approved time slots for shoving food into our face slots.” He continued claiming that he even gets hungry during breakfast, confessing “I need something to tide me over while my fork makes the journey from my eggs to my potatoes.”

Man, we’ve all been there. Right?

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Posted on March 7, 2024 by Dana

Holly Perkins’ Plate for National Nutrition Month


After almost 20 years in the fitness industry, I have learned what it means when “they” say: “You are what you eat.” The truth is, just like your car, you will run better if you fill up on high octane fuel. My body simply cannot run–at all– if I don’t eat impeccably. Sometimes it’s difficult to eat well–say when I visit Dunkin Donuts (smile)– and eating well really is a lifestyle. But for me it is the ONLY way to live, enjoy life and perform at high speed.

This is one of my favorite meals that I ate on February 23 for dinner. Wild caught salmon is one of the most important foods to eat as it has the highest levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, which help decrease silent inflammation. I LOVE broiled asparagus with olive oil and white truffle salt.  Oddly, canned kidney beans are one of my favorites too! Add to this the most beautiful avocado to provide the healthy fats. This meal made me feel like Superwoman!!!!

– Holly Perkins is a renowned fitness expert and New Balance Ambassador.

March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape,” focusing on MyPlate. We invited nutrition and fitness professionals to share their typical plate to give you a glimpse of how some of the healthiest people in the country eat on a daily basis. See the series.

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Health Buzz

Dr. Oz and Chris Powell Explain How to Lose Weight with Carbs

Anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight has heard that carbohydrates are a no-no. Dr. Oz and his guest are out to explain a new plan that says otherwise. Wednesday’s show is titled, “Cut Your Carb Cravings in One Week: The Revolutionary Plan for Weight Loss.”

Dr. Oz welcomes Chris Powell, the hottest new health guru and transformation specialist, to the show to help explain how carbs are part of a healthy diet plan. Together the two will also explain the 1 week plan to break carb addictions and begin weight loss.

As he explained why ditching carbs altogether is a huge diet mistake, Powell shows the audience some diet secrets and explains, “you’re ever going to fall off your diet if you do this.”

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Posted on March 7, 2024 by Lacy

Dr. Oz Interviews Anorexic Women on the Brink of Death

Dr. Oz ditches all his surprising tips for health and fun animations for a very serious topic. The Dr. Oz Show will be interviewing anorexic women who are on the brink of death in today’s episode, “ Women take drastic measures to be thin.”

Dr. Oz will be interviewing a 31-year-old woman who weighs 73 pounds and survives by a feeding tube. The doctor will also hear her husband’s plea for help as the two try to lead her out of anorexia.

Dr. Oz will also speak with a woman who has turned to anorexia as a method to lose the weight she does need to lose. She has currently lost 70 pounds through anorexia and admits, “I need to lose weight and this is working.” (more…)

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Lacy

Healthy Recipes Inspired by The Hunger Games

For those swept up in the romance and thrilling plot of ‘The Hunger Games,’ it’s a well known fact that leading lady Katniss Everdeen and her fellow citizens were living a life far from luxury in District 12.

Starvation was a daily reality for most everyone confined within the city walls, but Katniss’s time spent in the Capitol training for the Hunger Games pitched a different tone – and menu. Delicacies like lamb stew, foie gras, and chicken in rich, creamy sauces were in well supply, tempting her taste buds and nourishing her body through the rigorous training she endured for her battles in the arena.

To give you a taste of the two vastly different words Katniss experienced – both of living in plenty at the Capitol, and living in want in District 12 – here is a list of 5 healthy recipes to help set the tone and table for all of your Hunger Games festivities. (more…)

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Dana

New Study Reconfirms Links Between Diet and Childhood Obesity

Reports from a study conducted at the University of Granada in Spain revealed two important correlations pertaining to childhood obesity: Children who eat meals at home prepared by their mother have a better nutritional outlook. And children with sedentary lifestyles are much likelier to have an unhealthy BMI.

Using standard measurement methods, researchers assessed the BMI of 718 children between the ages of 9 and 17 from various schools in Granada, and also determined the consumption frequency of specific foods and daily exercise habits. Their research showed that there is a noticeable relationship between sedentary leisure habits and high BMIs. And that it is “extremely important” for healthy habits to be promoted and encouraged within the family.

This only further confirms what experts have taught us all along: Daily exercise is crucial to overall health. Meals prepared at home are are likelier to be made with healthier, fresher ingredients and served in the proper portions. And it’s crucial that healthy habits be modeled in the home.

So how do we apply this research if we struggle in this area? Consider the following problem areas and tackle them head on. (more…)

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Dana

Why it’s OK to Celebrate Oreo’s 100th Birthday

Happy birthday to the Oreo cookie! There’s probably not an American kid around who hasn’t twisted, licked, dunked, and devoured. One of my favorite photos is of me at around two-years-old sitting on my dad’s lap dunking cookies in a shared glass of milk. He taught me to hold the cookie in the milk until it just starts to give way between your fingers and then drop it in your mouth. Important life lesson!

Look, these cookies are as processed as they come and don’t really have any redeeming qualities, other than tasting so darn good. But I, like so many, enjoy practicing a life of moderation. And that means that once or twice a year I’ll buy a small six-pack of Oreo cookies, fill a glass with skim milk, and share the treat with my husband.

That’s why I’m saying it’s OK to celebrate Oreo’s centennial. (more…)

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Natalie K

Jessica Smith’s Plate for National Nutrition Month

I rarely order food, but this was a photo shoot day (and an active one at that – I was demonstrating exercises for eight hours, so that meant a lot of muscular endurance work!) so I had to eat outside of my kitchen.

This lunch, courtesy of Muscle Maker Grill, was the Santa Fe Wrap, which consisted of grilled chicken breast, turkey bacon, red beans and brown rice, reduced fat cheddar cheese and zero carb signature sauce. The menu says it’s only 581 calories, but I am a little suspect of that number – think it may be higher, which is why I only ate half (which was HARD to do – it was so delish!).

On the side? I ordered their balsalmic vinegar potato salad. I love potatoes for energy during workouts (though this was not as good as I thought it would be, so I only ate a few, ha ha!). (more…)

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Health Buzz

Taylor Swift’s Bikini Body Proves She’s Health Conscious

Look what washed up on the Australian shore! It’s Taylor Swift in a bikini. Not hard to believe, the country music starlet is perennially fit and gorgeous.

The 22-year-old is currently rocking her international Speak Now tour. And while the bus may be weighed down in industry accolades thanks to her 13 million albums sold, she’s hardly contributing to the poundage.

She loves to pull the bus in to Cracker Barrel for a meal of eggs and biscuits, which considering that menu, is pretty tame of her. She also likes the restaurant’s apple butter and keeps it in her fridge. The down-to-earth country star keeps it real when it comes to eating though, and says she maintains an internal barometer of how healthy or not she’s been for the week, and then makes adjustments. You’ll also rarely see Taylor without water, as she keeps a bottle on hand at all times knowing how important hydration is to maintain such an impossible schedule as she does. (more…)

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Natalie K