Diet and Nutrition

Hotels Now Offering More Healthy Options

Indulging in high calorie foods is all too easy when you’re traveling. Fatigue, stress, and even jet lag can all make dialing up room service for a burger and a slice of pie all the more tempting. That’s why many hotels across the U.S. are getting into the health food trend and offering up leaner options.

Courtyard by Marriott has begun including calories on their menu boards and also have pamphlets describing the ingredients and nutrition of the offerings. By the end of April, Hilton will have low-fat and low-calorie options in all its hotels. Sofitel has created a De-Light menu that’s available at several locations and features a three-course meal with fewer than 500 calories.

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Posted on March 25, 2024 by Health Buzz

Healthiest Meal Choices at Chick-fil-A

I know a lot of people who darn near worship Chick-fil-A. While most of their following is because of their delicious fried chicken sandwiches and seasoned waffle fries, I’ve always thought that the chain had some of the freshest salads of any fast-food chain, and the chargrilled chicken sandwiches are always pretty tasty. Flavor and freshness aside, does Chick-fil-A really have healthy options? And if so, what are they? We recently took a look at the menu to see if its meals met our registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield’s healthy guidelines of having less than 500 calories and less than 500 milligrams of sodium, according to the the new daily sodium recommendations. The options below are what met our criteria — we wish there were more!

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Posted on March 25, 2024 by Jennipher

Navigating the Grocery Store with Acid Reflux

I have been undergoing treatment for acid reflux for about two months, with the guidance of Dr. Jamie Koufman, one of the authors of Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook & Cure. Like many people who suffer from heartburn, I had a pretty clear idea of my worst trigger foods before seeking medical attention. Coffee, citrus, alcohol and tomato sauce all had me reaching for the Tums.

What I learned from Dr. Koufman is that acid as a food additive is also a contributor to reflux. Acid is added to foods because it prevents the growth of bacteria, but few consumers are aware of the potentially negative consequences of this practice. Things containing ascorbic acid, citric acid, and acetic acid should all be avoided by people suffering from reflux. You should also look out for foods and beverages that are “vitamin C enriched” or “vitamin C enhanced,” which is usually done through the addition of citric acid.

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Posted on March 25, 2024 by Margaret

We Love So Delicious Coconut Milk

When you open yourself up to trying healthier foods, you’ll discover an endless amount of new foods out there. Ignore the naysayers that say it’s nothing more than brown rice, carrots, and water, we find that the better the food is for you, the better it tastes! That’s true of So Delicious coconut milk and coconut products. In fact, we agree with the name that they are so delicious.

Whether you’re looking for a dairy-free product, or simply want to try a fresh new flavor, So Delicious more than has you covered.

Sure, there’s coconut milk, which uses organic coconut milk and organic cane sugar for a lightly sweet way to enjoy cereal or straight up in a glass. An 8-ounce serving has 80 calories and 6 grams of sugar, which is a calorie-counting bargain over the 91 calories and 12 grams of sugar in a glass of skim milk. (more…)

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Natalie K

Healthiest Menu Choices at Panda Express

Panda Express has a few things going for it. All of their dishes are trans-fat free, they don’t add MSG to the food, and you can get a number of options that are heavy in the vegetable department. But can this Chinese fast-food chain measure up to the recommendations by our registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield and the new daily sodium recommendations that all meals contain less than 500 calories and 500 milligrams of sodium? We recently examined the menu to find the healthiest menu options, and were pleasantly surprised with the variability!

Healthiest Meals at Panda Express

1. Half an Entree of Eggplant and Tofu and Half an Order of Steamed Rice. Enjoy this veggie-based meal for only 365 calories and 340 calories. If you have a sweet tooth after, you can even indulge in a Fortune Cookie for just another 32 calories and 8 milligrams of sodium.

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Posted on March 25, 2024 by Jennipher

Japanese Food Banned in Wake of Radiation Fears

Damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan

Besides the immediate health effects that the Japanese nuclear disaster may have on people within close proximity of the plant, there are concerns as to how the radiation could spread beyond the borders of Japan. While much of the worries have been assuaged by experts, there is one that is being watched closely: the food supply in Japan.

Hong Kong has suspended all imported food from five prefectures in Japan (prefectures in Japan are governed jurisdictions that are larger than cities, towns, and villages.).

India has ordered radiation tests at its ports and airports of all Japanese food originating after March 11 when the earthquake occurred.

So, how does all this play into the food imported to the U.S.? First off, less than four percent of all food imported into the U.S. comes from Japan. Even so, that is enough to concern anyone if that food is contaminated with radiation.

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Posted on March 23, 2024 by Jason

Dieting Makes Us Cranky Study Finds

File this under, “In case you didn’t know…”

A recent report, profiled in the Journal of Consumer Research, shows that people who restrict their food intake in the name of weight loss are more stressed and angry. The study, conducted by authors David Gal, at Northwestern University, in Chicago, and Wendy Liu at the University of California, compiled numerous weight loss studies. The authors wanted to determine if exerting self control leads to anger issues.

In the first study, participants who chose an apple over a chocolate bar for a snack were more likely to chose movies with anger issues than a more relaxed movie. The second study showed that those who were financially responsible (choosing a gift certificate for groceries rather than one for a spa service) showed more interest in looking at angry faces rather than at fearful ones.

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Posted on March 23, 2024 by Carmen

Amylin Obesity Drug Research Halted by FDA

It’s not easy for diet drugs to get approval from the FDA. Orexigen Therapeutics, Vivus and Arena Pharmaceuticals, all had obesity drugs shot down by the government agency. You may have to add Amylin Pharmaceuticals to the list.

The company has halted testing on its combination therapy pramlintide/metreleptin in its phase two study. In a recent press release, Amylin says that it stopped the study voluntarily “to investigate a new antibody-related laboratory finding with metreleptin treatment in two patients who participated in a previously completed clinical study of obesity.”

While the company says that they will work with the FDA and researchers to “to determine the best path forward,” I wouldn’t hold your breath on approval given the track record of obesity-related drugs being approved. (more…)

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Jason

Colt 45 Blast Promoted by Snoop Dogg Gets a Four Loko Makeover

UPDATE 3/30/2024: I would like to apologize for the confusion. This article was incorrect because I misread the source. Colt 45 does not contain caffeine. However, many people are still concerned because of the fruity flavors and celebrity endorsements that the product has; they think that these factors will make it more marketable to underage drinkers.

When Four Loko hit the shelves last year, health advocates and parents were concerned about the dangerous side effects the alcoholic beverage posed for young adults. Four Loko and other caffeinated alcoholic beverages contained a possibly lethal combination of alcohol and caffeine, which could cause drinkers to have heart attacks or other negative health consequences; some deaths have even been contributed to alcohol abuse from these drinks. In late 2024, many of these drinks were banned from the shelves unless they altered their recipes.

Now, a new caffeinated alcoholic drink is hitting the market, and many are concerned that it will target underage drinkers. The drink is called Blast by Colt 45 and Snoop Dogg, a famous rapper, is promoting the drink, according to NYDailyNews.com. Blast is a fruity-flavored drink with flavors such as Pomegranate-Blueberry and Raspberry-Watermelon. Blast is sold in 23.5 ounce cans and contains 12 percent alcohol; this is comparable to the infamous Four Lokos.

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Posted on March 22, 2024 by Health Buzz

Online Calorie Counters: Comparing Resources

In the course of writing for this blog, I find myself looking up the calorie content and nutrition information on a variety of food products, from the exquisitely healthy to the very unhealthy. I use a number of free online tools to find this information, and it occurred to me that our readers could benefit from a quick run-down of the different sites out there and the resources they offer.

First and foremost, all of these sites will tell you a reasonable portion size for almost any given food and its corresponding calories. You can search both name-brand products and generic types of foods. They will also give you a “Nutrition Facts” panel such as you would find on a food package, that include varying degrees of detail. Many of these sites will also give you some sort of composite grade or score, which makes it easier to compare the nutritional quality of foods. A few of these sites also offer a visual tool to accompany this information.

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Posted on March 22, 2024 by Margaret

Kate Walsh’s Workout Secrets

Private Practice star Kate Walsh recently shared her secrets to staying trim in the April issue of More magazine. The actress says she doesn’t diet anymore, but stays trim with plenty of physical activity.

“I do Pilates, and hike with my dog,” says Walsh. “As you get older, everything changes. Everything starts getting … looser. But I think it’s important to accept that.”

Walsh acknowledges that staying trim isn’t that easy for everyone. “I’m lucky. I’ve got pretty good genes. But I think it’s a weird thing to fight it. I like how I’ve got good genes” is the new way of saying ‘I think I’m the sh-t.’ ”

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Posted on March 22, 2024 by Health Buzz

Diet and Nutrition

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