Diet and Nutrition

How to Properly Blanch Vegetables

By Shubhra Krishan for Care2.com

Blanching is a classic cooking technique that takes the raw edge off veggies but preserves the vitamins and the taste. Blanching gives vegetables a lovely fresh and vibrant color. And it’s easy! You basically cook vegetables in boiling water very briefly; but there is an art to it, and it takes time to perfect. Here is how to do it right:

Prepare: Slice the vegetables julienne style, like matchsticks. Dice or shell as needed.

Boil: In fast-boiling salted water, tip the veggies one by one, starting from the light colored ones to the darkest. Leave them in for just 45 to 60 seconds, just until they brighten. Scoop them out, quickly, with a large slotted spoon.

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Posted on October 27, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Smoothie King’s Fall Fit Campaign Can Score You a Small Waist and Super Bowl Tickets

The holidays are officially here. Once those giant bags of candy hit the shelf, a war has been waged with our waistlines! Smoothie King wants to help you battle that war this season and has some great incentives to keep you fighting the good fight!

From now until December 18, 2024, Smoothie King is running its Fall Fit Campaign sweepstakes. The campaign is focused on motivating people to make better food choices and get moving this fall season.

For accountability, Smoothie King is challenging people to sign the “Oath of Oh Yes You Can” on their Facebook Fanpage. Signing the oath is a pledge to stay fit and it’s also an entry for their grand prize: two tickets to Super Bowl XLVI plus $1,000 for travel.

There’s more than just an oath and a prize entry, though. Additionally, Smoothie King has partnered with Journey Gym to provide health tips and motivation. Journey Gym, also known as the “laptop of fitness,” is a complete, lightweight, and compact universal gym. The health partners will also be giving away 10 Journey Gyms to lucky participants.

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Posted on October 26, 2024 by Lacy

Health Food Movement Needs Political Savvy

There is a lot of talk about what we need to do about the obesity epidemic we are facing in the U.S… and that’s precisely the problem, according to Jane Black, a food writer for The Atlantic.

“To make real change, reformers need to stop preaching and start forming smart political alliances to get the job done,” says Black.

As she astutely points out, it’s not enough to be right. You can be right about every point on your food policy agenda, but if you don’t have practical and political solutions for achieving results, what good is it?

The problem isn’t unlike any other political battle in our country. You can have truth on your side all you want, but if you aren’t politically savvy with how you brand your messaging, good luck with winning those battles. (more…)

Posted on October 26, 2024 by Jason

6 Ways to Slash Your Colon Cancer Risk

By Michelle Schoffro Cook for Care2.com

Colon cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancers. Making some simple dietary and lifestyle changes can cut your risk in half. Here’s how:

1. Eat more vegetables. We know we should eat more veggies. Research shows that eating more vegetables can cut a person’s risk of colon cancer in half. Eat a daily salad, a homemade vegetable soup, or add steamed or sauteed veggies to your main dish. Better yet, make vegetables the main course and meat the side dish.

2. Avoid foods high in saturated fats and nitrates. That includes processed luncheon meats, bacon, cold cuts, hot dogs, and sausage. The saturated fat is linked to inflammation while the nitrates they contain are known carcinogens.

3. Choose chicken (or turkey or Brazil nuts). According to a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, eating lean chicken several times a week decreases a person’s chances of developing precancerous polyps in the colon by 21 percent and the risk of malignant tumors by 39 percent. Researchers believe the mineral selenium may be to thank. Looking for vegetarian sources of selenium? Choose Brazil nuts, which are one of the best sources of this mineral. Brown rice and walnuts are also good sources.

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Posted on October 26, 2024 by GuestBlogger

ABC Introduces The Revolution, a New Daytime Weight Loss Reality Show

As soap operas are seeing an end to an era, many stations are picking up brand new formats for daytime programming. ABC will be introducing a new reality show called The Revolution in January 2024.

The Revolution will be a daytime talk show focusing on health and lifestyle transformations. The show was created by the same successful team that has brought viewers multiple seasons of NBC’s The Biggest Loser and Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host Ty Pennington will join a star studded cast of hosts in this new series. Tim Gunn of Project Runway and famous fitness expert Harley Pasternak are among the roster for this new inspiring show.

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Posted on October 25, 2024 by Lacy

Paleo Comfort Foods Offers Caveman Spin on American Favorites

Paleo Comfort Foods Cookbook CoverJulie and Charles Mayfield have united their passions for Southern food and the paleo lifestyle in a new cookbook, Paleo Comfort Foods. The book features recipes like shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, pulled pork and even desserts like strawberry shortcakes and chocolate coconut pudding. The dishes reach beyond the South, and include a range of classic American flavors, all modified to fit a paleo diet. “Originally we were thinking about having Southern food, but more and more the idea of comfort food became something we wanted to focus on,” says Julie.

The paleo diet is largely based upon foods that were available before the agricultural revolution and excludes grain, added sugars and processed foods. Some people on a paleo diet also exclude legumes, honey and most fruits.

The Mayfields aren’t professional chefs, in fact both had full-time jobs while creating the book. They hope it will show people how going paleo can fit into a busy lifestyle. They agree that the biggest challenge of creating the cookbook was not finding paleo substitutes for ingredients like flour and sugar, but “breaking down the recipes and measuring them out,” says Julie.

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Posted on October 25, 2024 by Margaret

Mineral Basics: Your Complete Guide to Phosphorus

Phosphorus is best known for the role it plays in bone and teeth development; however, getting enough is also important for many other things. It plays a crucial role in the body’s utilization of protein, fat, and carbohydrates so they can be used for overall growth, maintenance, and repair of the body’s cells and tissues. This mineral also helps with the production of ATP, adenosine triphosphate, which is an important molecule the body uses to store energy.

Most phosphorus can be found in protein-rich foods like meat, milk, and eggs. If you consume a diet that is rich in calcium and protein, you’re probably getting enough. In fact, most Americans have no problem getting enough of this micronutrient. Additionally, breads and cereals are often fortified with it; however, the form of phosphorus found in these products is typically not as absorbable by the body.

According to the Institute of Medicine, the average adult needs 700 milligrams of phosphorus each day. Requirements are based on age and vary for each age group. Children between the ages of 0-12 months need 100 – 275 milligrams per day, 1-3 year olds require 460 milligrams per day, 4 – 8 year olds need 500 milligrams per day, and those between the ages of 9 and 18 require 1250 milligrams per day.

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Posted on October 24, 2024 by Kati

Halloween Party Eats That Won’t Haunt Your Waistline

Halloween is a fantastic holiday. There’s no pressure to buy just the right gift, no cleaning or decorating, no resolutions or 100 degree picnics. It’s a day devoted to getting dressed up, scared out of your mind and filled up with candy. Well, maybe the last part isn’t the greatest idea, but how can you avoid it? One way is to serve healthier alternatives at your party. Make ’em fun, and chances are, the kids won’t even miss the junk.

Pumpkin is quite possibly the most well-known Halloween fruit. Take advantage of the orange globe’s popularity and serve Mini Pumpkin Muffins. To reduce the fat in the recipe, substitute applesauce for the oil. An additional choice of  Butternut Squash Muffins will round out the (delicious) options. Stir orange food coloring into low-fat cream cheese for a yummy spread.

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Posted on October 24, 2024 by Carmen

Dealing with Family Food Pushers This Holiday Season

Food is the first and most basic way that we nurture each other. It is one of the reasons that many of us turn to food for comfort.

Providing nourishment was one of the very first ways that our mother’s soothed us as infants, both feeding us and soothing us emotionally by holding us close. When your grandmother or aunt offers you another helping, insists you try the dessert, or even tells you look too thin, it may simply be a desire to express love to and nurture you. This desire can be more intense during the holidays as sentimentality heightens emotions.

When people are pushing food to express their love, a hard rejection can be experienced as personal rejection. You may be able to distract them with loving attention. The most direct response may be to thank them sincerely for the offer or compliment and tell them that you have had enough to eat or that you are avoiding certain foods for health reasons. It can sometimes help to also offer an expression of appreciation to reinforce the positive relationship.

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Posted on October 24, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

Anderson Cooper has a Second Food Intervention

Tune in Thursday, October, 27, 2024 to watch Anderson Cooper have a second food intervention.

Last month, the show had its first intervention with the host. Due to its popularity, Anderson will be joined by fellow picky eaters as they attempt to expand their horizons and try new and different foods.

The show will also be teaching the difference between good fats and bad fats and good sugar verses bad sugar. As the different types of good and bad foods are explained, the show will also cover the naked truth of what’s really inside a hot dog.

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Posted on October 24, 2024 by Lacy

The Doctors Show How to Supersize Your Health

Tune in Tuesday, October 25, 2024 to The Doctors to learn how to “supersize your health.”

The cast will be sharing great advice and tips on how to look younger, get fitter and feel healthier. Jillian Michaels will also be sharing her no-sit-up secrets for great abs.

This episode is loaded with must-see health information.

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Lacy