Diet and Nutrition

Can You Follow the Baby Food Diet in a Healthy Way?

The Baby Food Diet has taken Hollywood by storm but as more Americans who want to lose weight are jumping on the jarred, pureed food bandwagon, nutrition experts and parents are questioning whether the diet is safe and effective.

“Meeting adequate nutritional needs while following a diet that promotes eating small portions of low calorie pureed foods isn’t so easy,” said Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, nutrition expert for FoodNetwork.com and mother of three. “Jars of baby food vary from 15 to 100 calories so it can really be up to the dieter to mix and match various food groups to meet dietary needs.”

While eating baby food alone can put a person at risk for certain vitamin and nutritional deficiencies, there are variations to the diet that can make it healthier, more accessible and more sustainable.

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Posted on June 16, 2024 by Maris

Foodish Lets You Journal Without the Calorie Count

There are many food journaling apps out there, and most of them are geared towards helping users count calories and lose weight. The Foodish iPhone app takes the diet journal in a new direction. The user takes photos of their meals and the app keeps a record, allowing the user to give each item a rating with an emoticon. You can then share your pic on Twitter and Facebook.

The makers of the app describe it as “the elegant and modern way to track a diet for all those who don’t want to mess scales and calories.” Basically, the app will not tell you if your meal was healthy or not, but it can help you be more aware of what you’re eating and how much. This is particularly true because you have to photograph your food before you eat it, allowing you enough time to think twice. If you’re looking for an app that will inform you about the nutritional value of the foods you’re eating, you will be better off with something like FoodFacts or Fooducate.

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Posted on June 15, 2024 by Margaret

Obesity Vaccine May Be on the Horizon

Has it really come to this? Well, maybe it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise since obesity is often referred to as a disease.

Just as kids get vaccines that have made things like polio and smallpox obsolete, there may come a day when adults who are struggling with their weight can be vaccinated to suppress their appetite.

A new study involving mice successfully got the obese subjects to eat 50 percent less after they were given the vaccine, which was ghrelin (the hormone that stimulates hunger) attached to harmless virus-like particles.

The theory behind injecting ghrelin is that the body develops antibodies against the hormone, which would suppress the hunger-inducing substance. (more…)

Posted on June 15, 2024 by Jason

What Your Nails and Skin Say About Your Diet

Whether you’re male or female, healthy nails and hands are typically seen as signs of physical beauty. According to Dr. Ariel Ostad, a Manhattan Board Certified Dermatologist, changes in skin and nails can signify health problems, some of which can be helped or prevented by eating a healthy diet.

“Skin and nail changes should be given the same level of attention and scrutiny as other physical symptoms men and women experience within their body,” said Ostad. “All too often, we only see a doctor for symptoms we can feel such as stomach or back pain. Visible changes to nails and skin can be indicative of conditions such as skin cancer or other systemic issues.”

While a perfectly manicured hand is one where the nails are strong and smooth, with no discoloration or jagged cuticle, most people have less-than-perfect hands. While regular visits to the dermatologist, proper moisturizing and protecting your skin from UV rays are all good practice, what you eat can also help prevent the issues that cause skin damage – and help improve damage that has already been done.

Look at your skin and nails for cues that it’s time to change up your diet. If you suspect there is an underlying issue, be sure to see your doctor or health care professional.

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Posted on June 15, 2024 by Maris

Reduced Sugar Pepsi Next Hits Stores this Summer

At the Beverage Digest Wall Street Smarts conference yesterday, Massimo d’Amore, CEO, PepsiCo Beverages America confirmed the rumors that Pepsi will be launching a mid-calorie soda. D’Amore described the new beverage as “a next-generation cola” that cuts calories and sugar without sacrificing taste, the major stumbling block for mid-calorie sodas of the past. In 2004, PepsiCo launched the 70-calorie Pepsi Edge, which proved unsuccessful and was pulled from the market in the following year.

“The way we were formulating products 10, 20 years ago is different from how we formulate them today,” said d’Amore. “The sweetener system is different; some of the ingredients are different. It’s a great-tasting product.” He explained that the product has been created for customers who currently drink full-calorie soda, but are looking to cut back on their sugar consumption. The product will be tested in two locations this summer, in Iowa and Wisconsin.

The move may be an attempt to keep consumers from switching from cola to other beverages altogether, as the health problems associated with soda consumption gain more public attention. “When some consumers switch from regular colas, they try diets, don’t like the taste and move on to water or other categories,” John Sicher, Beverage Digest’s editor and publisher, told Advertising Age. “The theory is that a mid-cal can taste better than a diet to some consumers and appeal to consumers who are moving away from the regular brands.”

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Posted on June 14, 2024 by Margaret

5 Balanced Dinner Menus to Fill Your MyPlate Icon

With the recent announcement that the food pyramid will be replaced by the new MyPlate icon, Americans are more aware than ever that it’s time to start eating their vegetables.

While the plate icon offers a visual, user-friendly guide to help people make better food choices, some of the 2024 Dietary Guidelines, like eating more fish, beans and whole grains, are not addressed.

Before you start cooking dinners based on MyPlate, keep the size of your plate in mind and check your portion sizes. According to the Mayo Clinic, reasonable portion sizes include:

One serving of protein should be three to six ounces (three for women, six for men) and about the size of a deck of playing cards.

One serving of whole grains should be the equivalent of one slice of bread, 1/3 cup brown rice or 1/2 cup whole-wheat pasta.

One serving of dairy is equivalent to an 8 ounce glass of milk or 1 ounce cheese (about the size of four dice).

One serving of fruit and vegetables should be approximately 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw.

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Posted on June 14, 2024 by Maris

How Grocery Stores Can Help Us Eat Healthy

Supermarkets are typically laid out to encourage costumers to make as many purchases as possible. The most frequented areas of the grocery store, such as the ends of aisles, are occupied by highest bidder. These choices are driven by profit margins, and not with the shopper’s health in mind.

But what if encouraging healthy purchases were a grocery store’s priority? The Marketplace Health Desk at WHYY public radio in Philadelphia takes a look at this topic. They interview Karen Glanz, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has done extensive research in consumer habits in supermarkets. She explains that she’s “trying to learn from what commercial marketers have been doing all along, see if we can’t turn that to health advantage.”

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Posted on June 14, 2024 by Health Buzz

25 Healthy Recipes for Graduation Parties

This month is a popular one for graduation celebrations, with high schools and colleges throughout the country concluding their academic years.

Whether you’re planning a graduation celebration for your favorite recent graduate or attending a potluck party, we have the perfect recipe for you – from finger foods to decadent desserts.

Finger Foods: Simple to prepare and easy to eat, finger foods are a fun and portable way for your guests to nosh while they mingle. These recipes don’t require forks or knives, but they might call for extra napkins.

Boneless Buffalo Strips

Low-Calorie Pigs in a Blanket

Rosemary Skewered Chicken with Orange Glaze

Antipasto Skewers from Mele Cotte

Cucumber Cups with Caramelized Onions & Bacon from Lemons & Anchovies

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Posted on June 14, 2024 by Maris

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution: Lessons Learned

After the disappointment in the last episode of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, it was a wonderful surprise to see that the administrator of West Adams High had hopefully found a loophole, so that Jamie and his kids could indeed cook for the entire school, at least as an assembly. The administrator said that the school was based on experiential teaching and preparing kids for college, so healthy eating fit right into their principles. In the mean time, Jamie continued his role of instructor, trying out different subjects beyond culinary arts.

In math class, Jamie taught about calories and consequences by allowing students to choose a snack between soda, chocolate bars, pizza, or oranges. He then allowed them to experience weight gain using weight backpacks. Jamie then took his math students out to the track having the students walk around the track enough times to burn the calories of what they had just eaten.

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Posted on June 14, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

We Love CLICK All-Natural Espresso Protein Drink

Confession: I am a coffee drinker. I can manage a french press myself. I drink it black. Despite a Starbucks in my family tree, I don’t find the coffee sold at that chain store up to my standards. I was skeptical about trying CLICK Espresso Protein Drink.

According to press releases, “CLICK is the brainchild of Greg and Beth Smith, a Fresno, California couple who owned a small chain of women’s fitness centers. The Smiths were seeking a delicious, healthy beverage for their members in response to the growing wall of sugar based energy and espresso drinks on the market.” The 15 grams of protein per serving is designed to provide sustained energy, in addition to the “two shots of espresso” or 100-150mg of caffeine per serving.

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Posted on June 14, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution: Know What You’re Eating

If you are like me, you didn’t realize that ABC had snuck Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution back into the line up on a new day and time. Luckily, I was able to catch up on Hulu.com. Hopefully, the rest of the season will continue on Fridays at 9p EST.

In the third episode of the second season, Jamie finally made some progress with Deno at Patra’s who we saw last episode. Jamie offered to renovate the entire diner and join him live on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show if Deno would agree to upgrade the meat in his burgers from the patties he knows nothing about. Deno said that his concern was more about if his customers would like it rather than the extra 13 cents per patty, but he also spoke about the “bottom line” a lot in this episode. Jamie introduced Deno to Sophia, one of the students from West Adams High, who shared her story and her concern that fast food is the primary contributor to diabetes in her entire family.

I was appalled that Deno would argue to a crying teenager that fast food is a choice, just like alcohol or cigarettes. When a child is given fast food, whose choice was it to purchase it? When lower quality ingredients are used to make foods, whose choice was that? Yes, I choose not to eat fast food, and my coworkers have said they hide their “bad” lunch choices from my sight. Yet, I am disturbed by the lack of compassion and the choice to blame rather than to take responsibility for one’s own choices.

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Posted on June 13, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

Diet and Nutrition

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