Diet and Nutrition

“What’s for Dinner” Never Answered so Easily than with FoodOnTheTable.com

For years I’ve espoused the many benefits of weekly meal planning. I rave to anyone (and even brag a little) about how it ensures we have home cooked meals most nights, how it keeps our grocery budget in check, eliminates a lot of food waste, and leaves little room for excuses about time. I can’t remember the last time I heard “What’s for dinner;” if I do, I point to the calendar on the refrigerator door.

From pen and paper to iPhone apps, there are numerous ways to adopt a meal planning habit in your house. Food On The Table is one digital tool that helps families plan meals almost effortlessly. The cooking, well, that will require a bit more muscle. I spent some time this week “playing” with the app and site, and asked Josie Maurer at YumYucky.com to take a look with me as well. She’s an equally health-conscious and busy mom who hasn’t quite adopted the meal planning strategy that I have. However, I think FoodOnTheTable.com changed her mind.

At FoodOnTheTable.com, or through their Android or iPhone app, you can make a weekly meal plan that is family-friendly (read: the kids will like it), keeps you organized, and reduces strain on your grocery bill. The app is free, as is a base subscription on the site; however, for more bells and whistles a monthly subscription is offered.

The site and app are both designed well. In fact, Josie and I agreed on her note that “It’s very interactive and highly visual, which encourages easy to understand navigation.” (more…)

Posted on January 20, 2024 by Natalie K

Canada Reduced Junk Food Consumption by Banning Ads

Every parent knows that come Saturday morning, their kids will be asking for the hottest new toy, the fun new cereal, and to go to the drive thru for the kid’s meal that comes with the must-have collectible action figure. And parents know this because Saturday morning cartoons are littered with company advertisements aimed at their target audience, their captive audience: children.

Research points in many directions when it comes to the effectiveness of these ad strategies, especially when it comes to the sway the fast food and junk food companies have over our purchases. Many don’t believe that unhealthy food should be promoted to children. Others don’t think it has any effect.

Recently a Canadian study was revisited to see what kind of effect advertising has on our purchases.

There was a complete ban on junk food advertising in the Canadian province of Quebec from 1984 to 1992. Evidence found that the ban reduced fast food expenses by 13 percent per week. That equaled up to 11 million to 22 million fewer fast food meals eaten per year. All that further added up to 2.2 billion to 4.4 billion fewer calories consumed by children. Those are significant numbers. Those from the University of Illinois who researched this study believe that if the U.S. as a whole banned such advertising, the results would be similar.
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Posted on January 20, 2024 by Lacy

Wichita Man Drops 155 Pounds with Small Changes

Many weight loss success stories begin with a personal revelation. That moment when it suddenly strikes the person like a lightning bolt that something has to change. For John Thompson of Wichita, Kansas, that moment came when he weighed in for a job physical only to see the number on the scale read 400 pounds.

With so much to lose, it would be easy to understand if John was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Luckily, he took some powerful words of wisdom to heart.

“I knew I had to change but didn’t know what to do. I watched Dr. Oz a lot, he always said change something, start small,” says John. “So I started with brown rice instead of crap sides like bread and butter.”

From there the positive changes started to pile up. John quit drinking soda, minimized fast food, ate out less and started watching his portions. Most importantly of all, he stopped drinking alcohol, which was a problem he only saw after a DUI charge.

“I was crushed and realized I had to quit drinking because I made terrible choices while drinking. This slowly became the best thing that ever happened to me.” (more…)

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Jason

The Gluten Weight Gain Connection

Aimee E. Raupp is the author of Chill Out and Get Healthy– a no nonsense guide for women on improving their health now. As well she is a licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist with a masters of science in Traditional Oriental Medicine. For more information visit AimeeRaupp.com.

Everyone’s talking about gluten these days. Is it just hype or are wheat and other gluten containing foods bad for us? The short answer is yes.

Let me explain. Gluten is a large, water-soluble protein that makes doughy things doughier. It is comprised of two proteins: gliadin and glutenin and is found in grains like wheat, rye and barely (click here for a concise list of gluten containing foods.) As well, since gluten is such a good thickener, these days we can find it in most packaged and processed foods and candy. Gluten has become a staple of the American diet and our health is suffering because of it.

“How?” You ask.

Gluten is a very inflammatory substance that is difficult to digest and causes damage to the walls of your intestines. When this damage occurs, your intestinal walls become leaky and are unable to carry out their expected task of digesting necessary nutrients and filtering out toxins and hence, toxins make their way back into your bloodstream causing an autoimmune reaction. This autoimmune reaction manifests differently in each person, but ultimately, it predisposes you to many diseases and often leaves you feeling unwell, bloated and fatigued.

When it comes to gluten reactions, there are people with Celiac disease and there are people with gluten intolerance. About 1% of the population has Celiac disease—a genetic condition of severe gluten intolerance and then there are the other 30-40% of the population who have a more mild form of gluten intolerance.
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Posted on January 19, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Emily Maynard Is a Health-Food Freak

It’s not hard to understand how Emily Maynard stays so slender. Just announced as the next Bachelorette, Maynard says she’s a health food “freak” even though she doesn’t cook much. “I eat as clean as can be – no sugar, no sodium, nothing,” she said in an interview with People Magazine. She confessed that she’s an “awful” cook, and depends on eating prepared meals from her local health food store and is known to shop at Whole Foods.

Although it doesn’t have any calories, one of Maynard’s unhealthy habits is an obsession with Diet Coke. “I drink way too many but can’t get through the day without it!”

When it comes to fitness, Maynard loves exciting, outdoors activities. She says Aspen is one of her favorite places because “after being outside all day you can sit in front of the fire.” As much as Maynard likes being out in the sun, she’s careful to protect her skin and always has tunes on-the-go. “I don’t go without music and sunscreen!”

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Posted on January 19, 2024 by Health Buzz

GoPicnic Ready-to-Eat Meals are a Healthy Alternative to Prepackaged Lunches

There’s so much to love when it comes to GoPicnic Ready-to-Eat Meals! Kids love them, parents love to serve them, parents love to eat them, they are healthy, and many are even gluten free.

These little boxes are a perfect replacement for the unhealthy cheese, meat and cracker meals found in the deli section. They are portable and fun, but they are loaded with good for you options. GoPicnic meals come in a variety of flavors such as salami and cheese, turkey stick and crunch, turkey pepperoni and cheese, sunbutter and crackers, hummus and crackers, salmon and crackers, tuna and cracker, and peanut butter and crackers.

Each box is nutritionally balanced with protein, fiber, and fruit. All products, even the dark chocolate found in some varieties, is made from whole ingredients. GoPicnic defines that by meaning no trans fats, no high fructose corn syrup, no added monosodium glutamate, and no artificial flavors or colors.

The meals are shelf stable but not because they use preservatives. GoPicnic uses high performance packaging methods that may cost more but ensure their products stay fresh without compromising the health factor.
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Posted on January 18, 2024 by Lacy

Fighting Food-Related Headaches with The Migraine Solution

It’s hard to imagine fearing an orange. Or a teaspoon of vinegar. Or a banana. But that’s exactly how many people feel. They’re convinced that eating certain foods will bring on a major whopper of a headache. Is this a legit concern?

“Although many people believe that some foods may trigger a migraine, the evidence remains a bit fuzzy,” says Elizabeth Loder, MD, MPH, the chief of the Division of Headache and Pain at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and who along with Paul Rizzoli MD wrote the just-released The Migraine Solution.

Loder points out that it’s especially challenging to track food triggers because different foods may affect different people in different ways. There’s also no consensus about how long it might take a dietary culprit to set off a headache so it’s difficult to pin down which foods are the real trouble makers.

For example, chocolate is one food in particular where the research is mixed. You may believe that chocolate sets off a migraine, but Loder notes that a craving for chocolate could be an early warning sign that a migraine is about to strike rather than its cause. “You have to be cautious and not jump to conclusions about how the two things are linked,” she points out. (more…)

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Health Buzz

Eat Fat to Lose Fat

Eat fat to lose fat

Yes, you heard me: eat fat to lose fat.

“But, isn’t fat is bad for my health? And, doesn’t it cause heart disease?” I hear you say. The answer to both is no.

For many centuries, cultures (like the French) have been eating high fat diets and, oddly enough, they have much lower rates of obesity and type II diabetes than we do here in the United States. You see, what happened was back in the 1950’s some scientists ran a small and very poorly designed study looking at the incidence of heart disease and the dietary habits of different nations. Somehow (after leaving out a great bit of data) these researchers determined that Americans hearty full-fat diet caused the most heart disease. And, voila now American’s eat a low-fat diet because their doctors recommend it.
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Posted on January 17, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Why You Should Ditch Your New Year’s Resolution

By Eve Kecskes MS, RD

It’s two-and-a-half weeks into the new year: are you still following your resolution? If so, how much longer do you think you can keep it up? Or are you like most of us and did you ditch it by now?

Most people make resolutions that are too hard to stick with long-term. We end up failing and then give up completely. As a dietitian, I’m going to focus on New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight and be healthy. I’m sure you want to be healthier even if you didn’t make a formal resolution.

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Posted on January 17, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Processed Meat Linked to Pancreatic Cancer, Study Shows

Leave it up to science to give you one more reason to make healthier food choices. A new study published in the British Journal of Cancer shows a link between eating processed meat with increased risk for pancreatic cancer.

Data from 11 trials and over 6,000 pancreatic cancer patients was analyzed and researchers concluded the following:

Eating 50 grams of processed meat daily – the equivalent of one sausage and two pieces of bacon—raised a person’s risk by 19 percent
Eating an extra 100 grams increased the risk by 38 percent

Pancreatic cancer is ranked as the fourth most common cause of cancer death across the globe. It’s extremely hard to diagnose and when it is discovered, the patient is usually in the late stages. Survival rates are poor, 95 percent of its victims die within five years of diagnosis.

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Posted on January 16, 2024 by Carol

Jillian Michaels Teams with President Clinton in Health Conference

On January 17, America’s favorite tough-love trainer Jillian Michaels is joining President Clinton for his foundation’s health conference entitled Health Matters: Activating Wellness in Every Generation, held in Indian Wells, California. It is the Clinton Foundation’s first conference devoted exclusively to health and well-being issues.

The conference will also be the first major event during the week of the Humana Challenge PGA Tour golf tournament. The conference will include other high-profile health advocates, including celebrity chef Lorena Garcia, health and wellness advocate Notah Begay III, and Susan Dell of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

President Clinton has joined his daughter Chelsea (who will also be in attendance) in adopting a vegan lifestyle, a stark contrast to the fast food and junk food he was known to favor during his years as president and earlier in life. After quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and stent surgery in 2024, it’s not difficult to understand his new-found resolve. (more…)

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Jason

Diet and Nutrition

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