Diet and Nutrition

What Your Food Cravings Really Mean

From chocolate to chips, cravings can sometimes get the best of us. Although cravings typically get a bad rap, knowing more about them can actually help you eat more nutritiously.

How is this possible? It’s simple. Not all cravings are created equal. Although some result from straight up hunger, other cravings arise because you smell something wonderful cooking in the kitchen or see a delicious looking meal. Other times cravings may exist because of a nutritional deficiency or because of a hormonal shift. Therefore, knowing which type of craving you are experiencing is key and can actually help you make good food choices if you are able to identify which craving you are experiencing and why.

Know Your Craving
Cravings can be described in two different ways: physiological or psychological. Physiological cravings are the result of actual hunger and mean that your body needs nourishment. If the body is well nourished overall, it probably won’t be a specific craving. These types of cravings don’t go away and instead often get worse over time. Psychological cravings, on the other hand, do pass as time goes on. A psychological food craving happens when you see something tasty online, on television, or even just smell the aroma of a food. Sometimes even boredom can cause these types of cravings and it’s important to not let these types take control of your eating decisions.

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Posted on August 17, 2024 by Kati

60,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled Due to E. Coli

Before you cook or grill that ground beef in your fridge for dinner tonight, beware. The USDA has recalled a whopping 60,000 pounds of ground beef due to possible E. Coli contamination.

So far the recall only focuses on the Southeast region of the United States, focusing on products sold mainly in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee. The ground beef was supplied by National Beef Packaging Co. of Dodge City, Kan. and was sold in Winn-Dixie, Publix and Kroger grocery stores.

The USDA says that the tainted beef may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria, a particularly troubling strain of E. coli. This strain of E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure. As with any foodborne illness, the very young, seniors and persons with weak immune systems are the most susceptible, according to the USDA.

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Posted on August 17, 2024 by Jennipher

Get Fit for Fall with Popular Weight Loss Plans

With the first day of school already taking place in some parts of the country, and plans starting to be made for Labor Day weekend, it’s clear that summer is about to give way to fall. Checking in with yourself at the start of fall can be a good idea. As active as summer can be, summers like this where the heat seems to break a new record each day can leave us sitting inside just trying to stay cool, never mind working out. With the kids back in school and you back in control of your schedule, there’s no time like the present to re-start your weight loss efforts.

We’ve identified seven programs that, so far this year, really stand-out as leaders, offering their customers healthful, balanced approaches to weight loss and healthful living. Consider these for your fall weight loss resolution.

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Posted on August 17, 2024 by Health Buzz

Vita Coco Gets Sued for False Advertising

The makers of Vita Coco, the 100 percent natural re-hydrating coconut water, were served with a 5 million dollar lawsuit August 11th. A recent study by Consumerlab.com, a product testing company, found that Vita Coco and other all-natural coconut water drinks were not as hydrating as clever marketing may have indicated.

Vita Coco and other coconut water drinks have become popular in the past few years, noting their superiority to sports drinks in replacing electrolytes after exercise. Vita Coco ad campaigns in particular claim that their drink has 15 times the electrolytes found in sports drinks, which according to the current law suit is false.

Many health experts believe that while coconut water is a good source of potassium it is not an adequate source of re-hydration, especially if participating in heavy exercise like marathon training. Experts also say that unless you’re exercising strenuously for over an hour, there is no need for electrolyte replacement afterwards and that water is enough to replenish your system.

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Posted on August 16, 2024 by Jamie

40 Chews the Magic Number for Weight Loss

We have pedometers to count our daily steps, maybe it’s time to have a device that measures our bites – a biteometer, maybe? That’s because a new study out of China says there is an ideal number of bites you should take in order to lose weight.

While we already knew that we shouldn’t eat our food fast, the latest research pins it down to 40 bites as the ideal number. The researchers got 16 lean and 14 obese young men to participate in the study. Before they started, the researchers believed the obese participants would chew less per bite, which proved to be true. (more…)

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Jason

Chick-fil-A Provides a Gluten Free Menu

It’s finally becoming easier for those with gluten sensitivities and Celiac disease to eat with the rest of the world. More and more products are clearly labeling if they’re gluten-free and many restaurants are offering a gluten-free menu. Add to that growing list the popular chicken sandwich chain, Chick-fil-A.

The Chick-fil-A website has provided a gluten-free menu listing all the menu options that are acceptable for those on a gluten-free diet.
Many of the entree choices are limited as many of the menu items are based around sandwiches on wheat buns and chicken breaded with wheat flour. However, Chick-fil-A has taken the extra steps and listed all the sauces and dressing that are safe for a gluten-free diet. Many restaurants do not go to this extent and consumers may end up eating gluten and not know it.

Some of the items on the gluten-free menu include the chargrilled chicken filet (no bun), the chargrilled chicken garden salad, and the chargrilled chicken and fruit salad. A few signature sides such as the cole slaw, carrot and raisin salad, and the waffle potato fries are on the menu as well. These additions to the gluten-free menu are much wider than most fast food chains, and the fact that they can offer fries indicates that they have taken the care to have a dedicated fryer that is not also used for breaded chicken products.

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Posted on August 16, 2024 by Lacy

What ‘Local’ Really Means to Your Grocery Store

This winter, Wal-Mart announced their plans to bring more local produce to their stores across the United States. The announcement is perhaps one of the most visible indications that the local foods movement has hit the mainstream, as it gains followers for both economic and environmental reasons. Yet it is necessary to approach such an announcement with a dose of skepticism when it comes from a company that seems to be driven so heavily by the bottom line.

Some have criticized Wal-Mart’s new policy to promote local food as little more than a marketing ploy, and have accused the company of re-labeling products they already procure locally. However, in a recent Wall Street Journal article, Wal-Mart says that the consumer demand for local produce is aligned with cost-savings objectives. Wal-Mart, like many other national chains, says that they can save money on transportation by purchasing food near to its point of sale and also cut down on waste due to food spoilage. In a press release, the company announced that they hope to source up to nine percent of all produce locally.

Many grocery stores also spotlight their local produce, although the definition of “local” is depends on the store. Here is a look at how some of the major grocery chains defined local produce.
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Posted on August 15, 2024 by Margaret

Dannon Activia adds French and Greek Yogurts to Product Line-Up

While yogurt can be a healthy snack or breakfast, not all brands are created equal. Homemade Greek yogurt is a nutritious option, but today’s supermarket shelves are crowded with various flavors and types of yogurt that are full of sugar and artificial flavoring.

The latest yogurt to hit the grocery store are three new lines from Dannon Activia: Dannon Activia Selects French, in Mango, Pineapple, Blackberry and Cherry; Activia Selects Greek in Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry and Pomegranate Berry French and Activia Selects French – Fruit Bites on the Bottom in Strawberry and Mixed Berry.

French yogurt is known for its silky texture, different from Greek yogurt’s creamy consistency and tart flavor.

While Dannon Activia yogurt contains an exclusive probiotic culture Bifidus Regularis, which is said to help regulate your digestive system, the company has been under scrutiny in the past for dropping misleading health claims.

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Posted on August 15, 2024 by Maris

Paprika and Cinnamon Said to Protect Your Body From Fatty Foods

Spices have always been an easy, low-calorie way to add flavor to your food without extra fat. According to the Daily Mail, a research team from Penn State University has found that a diet rich in spices, including turmeric and cinnamon, can reduce the stress that high-fat foods can place on the heart.

Scientists report that turmeric and cinnamon, two of the healthiest spices, may protect you from the physical damage caused by high-fat meals.

“Normally, when you eat a high-fat meal, you end up with high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood,” study leader, Sheila West told the Daily Mail. “If this happens too frequently, or if triglyceride levels are raised too much, your risk of heart disease is increased.”

By adding healthy spices to a high-fat meal, researchers found that the triglyceride response reduced by about 30% when compared to a similar meal with no spices added.

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Posted on August 15, 2024 by Maris

Babies Taste Veggies in the Womb

It’s well known that babies are not a lover of vegetables. Researchers have long wondered why this is, surmising that it could be due to the somewhat bitter taste of many vegetables. Maybe it’s because the parent doesn’t like vegetables and so the distaste is passed on. Parents have long been instructed to introduce vegetables into their babies’ diet in order to try to offset a sweet tooth. Now, recent research has shown a new way to help teach your baby to love vegetables – even earlier than first foods.

The study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, demonstrated that strong flavors were passed from mother to baby via the amniotic fluid. These flavors were also passed along to the baby via breast milk after birth.

“Things like vanilla, carrot, garlic, anise, mint — these are some of the flavors that have been shown to be transmitted to amniotic fluid or mother’s milk,” study leader Julie Mennella told NPR News.

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Posted on August 14, 2024 by Carmen

Calorie Counting Isn’t All That Bad

Maruchy Lachance is president of Running Ninja!, a lifestyle brand for runners by runners. Running Ninja! offers a wide variety of apparel and gifts for runners to keep you happy and inspired while you’re on the run.

Most of my blogs are inspired by conversations I have with friends and family about their efforts towards living a healthy lifestyle. What I usually find is that almost always one of them is embarking on yet another new way to keep extra pounds off and stay toned. Recently my friend told me that she is no longer counting calories. She will just be eating certain foods that she can indulge in and will not pack on the pounds. This sounded like a fantasy weight management program, so I listened.

She went on about the approved foods for this program and I quickly realized that the reason she will lose weight is because the list is made up of foods that no one will want to eat, let alone, indulge in.

We are all tempted by the promise to lose weight using some magical and sacrifice-free method, but the reality is that weight loss and weight management does involve some work, but can still be manageable and delicious. (more…)

Posted on August 14, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Diet and Nutrition

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