Diet and Nutrition

The Scramble’s Aviva Goldfarb Shares her Healthy Hanukkah Menu

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday that celebrates an ancient battle victory and the re-dedication of a holy temple in Jerusalem. Though it isn’t the holiest Jewish holiday, it is one of the most anticipated; it typically falls within several weeks of Christmas and is associated with the festive holiday season.

Like other winter holidays, there are a number of traditional dishes that are essential to the Hanukkah celebration. It can be difficult if you are on a diet or trying to maintain a healthy weight, especially since the Hanukkah celebration lasts eight nights as opposed to many other holidays, which last one or two.

“As with any holiday, plan to allow yourself a little bit of indulgence,” said Aviva Goldfarb, author of The Scramble. “Different people have different traditions. I don’t bake a lot of cookies during the holidays but my family loves sweet potato pie as a side dish. I also make latkes baked or pan fried in less oil.”

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Posted on December 20, 2023 by Maris

Benefits of Weight Loss Support

This post was submitted on behalf of DoctorsofWeightLoss.com, a website that educates people on gastric bypass surgery, explanations of cutting-edge research, and profiles of the nation’s leading weight loss surgeons.

Losing weight is a difficult task as it is, you can use as much help as you can get. One of the ways you can help ensure weight loss success is finding a partner in your journey.

Whether you choose a branded diet or just look to improve your overall health choices, even those with the best intentions can use someone else’s support. Some even say it’s the difference between success and failure.

It’s not just about dieting support either. When you exercise, try to do it with a friend. A friend can not just hold you accountable, they may also rely on you just as much, making it much more difficult to blow off a workout session. (more…)

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Jason

Vegetarian Diet Helpful for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

eggs, wheat, peppers and tomatoesIf you have kidney disease, a new study has some great news for you. Evidently, a vegetarian diet can help patients who suffer from kidney disease avoid accumulating high phosphorous levels in their bodies.

High levels of phosphorous in the body can lead to heart disease and death, so it is important for patients with chronic kidney disease to know how much phosphorous they are consuming because it could help save their lives. However, most food labels do not list the phosphorous amount.

Led by Sharon Moe, a group of researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine and Roudebush Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center studied nine patients who followed either a vegetarian or meat-based diet plan for one week. Afterwards, the patients swapped diets to compare the effects each diet had on the various patients. Although the patients consumed equal amounts of protein and phosphorus concentrations in both diets, they had decreased amounts of phosphorus exertion when they were following the vegetarian diet. The researches concluded that the source of protein was the important factor in determining the patients’ phosphorus levels.

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Posted on December 19, 2023 by Health Buzz

Recipe Swaps for a Healthier Hanukkah

flamesIt’s almost time to light the menorah, spin the dreidel and of course, indulge in some of your favorite healthy Hanukkah recipes. If there is ever an occasion to indulge, a holiday is certainly a good one. Though it’s reasonable to help yourself to small portions of your favorite dishes on a day of celebration, you can also create lighter alternatives.

Instead of Beef Brisket…make Spiced Pot Roast. Brisket is a notoriously fatty cut of meat. To trim calories and get more bang for your nutritional buck, purchase the flat “first-cut” section and prepare it with plenty of fresh herbs and spices instead of in a sauce with added fat.

Instead of Noodle Kugel…make Sweet Potato Kugel from Cheap, Healthy, Good. Kugel, which some liken to a “Jewish casserole” is traditionally made with noodles cooked in a creamy base with raisins, nuts or fruit. A healthier version is made with sweet potatoes, which are full of Vitamin A, fiber and potassium.

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Posted on December 19, 2023 by Maris

Happily Eat Carbs for the Holidays

Heather Sokol is the frugal mother of 3 girls. She has lost 30 pounds in the last year and blogs about her weight loss journey at Just Heather.

Cookies. Candies. Pie.

It’s a trifecta of holiday goodness. And, a whole lot of carbs to derail a year of healthy habits. It’s all about striking a balance between maintaining my weight loss and taking part in the festivities.

Family gatherings take place in the kitchen and celebrations revolve around food. Dessert is as much a part of the holiday traditions as Santa and stockings. So, what’s a carb loving girl to do when she goes home for the holidays?

This girl enjoys the carbs. In moderation.

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Posted on December 18, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Lean Beef is Shown to Help Lower Cholesterol Levels

By Kelsey Murray

According to the Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet study, including lean beef in your daily diet is as effective in reducing your total and bad cholesterol levels as the more commonly accepted DASH diet. The diet was conducted by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University and studied adults who have moderately elevated cholesterol levels. The adults’ cholesterol levels were then measured and evaluated, depending on how much lean beef they ate.

“This research sheds new light on evidence supporting lean beef’s role in a heart-healthy diet,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, the principal investigator of the study and a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University. “Study participants ate lean beef every day and still met targets for saturated fat intake.”

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Posted on December 16, 2023 by Health Buzz

Dinner for One: Healthy Cooking and Eating While Single

Cereal for supper? Fast food out of the bag? That’s not how singles have to eat. Eating right can be challenging when living alone, but singles have options to match their preferences and skills. To cook or not to cook? What’s your singles eating style?

To Cook

Singles can cook either fast and slow. Fast cooking involves making one simple meal from scratch. Think about a spinach and cheese omelet, a big salad with rotisserie chicken, a quick pasta dish, or beans and rice. Without being elaborate, fast meals cover all of the food groups (don’t forget your glass of milk and piece of fruit.) The trick to cooking fast is to assemble a repertoire of tried-and-true recipes and to keep the ingredients on hand at all times. The shopping list must be always up-to-date. Reheating frozen entrees or burritos is a type of fast cooking. Buy them on sale and keep the freezer full.

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Posted on December 16, 2023 by Natalie K

Russell Simmons PETA 2024 Person of the Year

I find Russell Simmons fascinating from the perspective that he is a maverick in every sense of the word. He’s not just a successful business man, but he’s a legendary figure in the notoriously macho male world of hip hop, yet he’s a vegan, animal rights activist, and avid practitioner of yoga and Transcendental Meditation (TM).

It’s the vegan and animal right part of his lifestyle that has earned him the honor of PETA 2024 Person of the Year. He’s in good company, since last year the honor went to former President Bill Clinton for raising awareness about the health benefits of a vegan diet.

In a written statement, PETA says that Simmons earned the honor because “he tirelessly advocates for animals and sets a positive example for others by promoting a vegan lifestyle.”

Simmons is known for spreading the word on how his philosophy of compassion and his vegan diet has made his life better for it. You can’t accuse him of mincing his words:

“The horrible abuse of animals is the worst karmic disaster in the history of human kind,” said Simmons. “The work that PETA does to combat this catastrophe is amazing. I’m truly humbled to be chosen as this year’s Person of the Year but the praise should go to the hundreds of thousands of volunteers that are on the ground doing the work. I accept this honor on their behalf.” (more…)

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Jason

Janet Jackson is Nutrisystem Success’ New Celebrity Spokesperson

Nutrisystem Celebrity SpokespersonLast night, meal delivery diet Nutrisystem launched their new program, Nutrisystem Success, with the announcement that Janet Jackson will be their celebrity spokesperson. Jackson has recently opened up about her weight struggles, and has admitted to trying fad diets in the past. She dives into the subject in her book True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself, which topped The New York Times bestseller list.

“Dieting never worked for me, counting calories never worked for me, and denying myself the foods I love never worked for me. I needed a better plan, and I found it with Nutrisystem,” said Jackson. “With Nutrisystem I am seeing results already, and I am so impressed by both the thought and the nutritional science behind the program. There are millions of women like me who want to be successful but don’t have the tools to do it on their own.  I hope I can help inspire them.”

The campaign’s slogan is “Get On It,” and Nutrisystem says a series of documentary-style commercials will feature Jackson answering questions about weight loss.

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Posted on December 15, 2023 by Margaret

AminoSweet Announced as the New Name for Aspartame

It’s still Aspartame. Reminiscent of the recent High Fructose Corn Syrup name change, possibly in an effort to change our opinions, Aspartame will now be referred to as AminoSweet. Don’t fall for a more “natural” name – this stuff is still bad news. Hopes are that by using a more natural sounding name, consumers will feel more at ease with its pervasive use in more than 6,000 products.

Originally introduced more than 25 years ago, this “accidental discovery” has quickly taken over the food industry.  Two naturally-occurring amino acids (aspartic acid and phenylalanine) were first combined in an effort to produce an anti-ulcer drug. Pharmacist James Schlatter discovered that the new compound had a very sweet taste. The company was granted a change on its FDA approval application from drug to food additive. Thus, aspartame was born.

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Posted on December 14, 2023 by Carmen

Biggest Loser Season 13 Reveals Shocking Twist

Fresh on the heels of John Rhode‘s amazing win in season 12 of the Biggest Loser, the show has announced details about season 13, which begins airing January 3.

When season 13 kicks off, contestants arrive at the Biggest Loser Ranch and receive some pretty shocking news: while they get there in teams of two, which includes a mother/daughter, father/son, brother/sister and husband/wife combination, they will be split from their loved ones and will have to compete against them!

Dubbed the season of “No Excuses,” the competitors are taken out of their comfort zone to face both physical and mental challenges like they never have before in their lives. Not to mention, one team won’t even make it on the ranch. (more…)

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Jason