Diet and Nutrition

Healthy Holiday Beverages for Every Party Guest

It’s prime-time party planning pandemonium across the country. The end of December is here and it came a lot quicker than any of us expected. Food, entertainment, decorations, etc.- there is so much to consider when throwing a holiday get-together. Beverages are often considered a no-brainer; pick up a bottle of wine, some beer, sparkling cider for the kids and you’re good. Don’t forget the eggnog, right? Although there’s no reason to stay away from festive drinks, it’s important to include them responsibly. What do all festive drinks have in common? Either alcohol, sugar or caffeine, which can all wreak havoc on a sensible diet. Scale back on the trinity of diet saboteurs and everyone will have a happier holiday!

First of all, don’t underestimate the power of water. H2O can be enhanced with numerous herbs and garnishes such as lavender, lemon, cucumber, berries or mint. Try freezing whole cranberries in an ice cube tray with pomegranate juice for a pretty presentation and a splash of flavor. Mix up a refreshing pitcher of your choice or create a festive water-bar for guests to enjoy. The same goes for good ol’ fashioned tea, cider or coffee.

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Posted on December 23, 2023 by Theresa

NutriSystem Gift Cards Make Gift Giving Healthy and Simple

Gift cards for clothing or iTunes is nothing new in the world of holiday presents, but gift cards for healthy living? Now that’s a novel and refreshing gift idea.

Weight loss giant NutriSystem has just launched NutriSystem gift cards, a perfect and healthy way to encourage someone you love to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Here is how NutriSystem gift cards work: Purchase a gift card in any dollar amount from $10 to $500 and give it to someone who is new to NutriSystem, an existing member or someone who simply wants to sample the NutriSystem line of portion-controlled meals and snacks. Unlike most gift cards, which expire after a certain amount of time, these gift cards have no expiration date and they don’t contain any hidden fees or service charges. Chances are, when you give the gift of health, especially around the New Year, a NutriSystem gift card is likely to get cashed in pretty quickly. (more…)

Posted on December 22, 2023 by heather

Sarah Palin Continues to Mock Healthier School Lunches

You would think that if there was anything Republicans, Democrats and Independents could agree on it would be that making school lunches healthier is a good thing. But apparently in today’s extreme political divide, healthy food is a part of the new Communist Manifesto.

I think too much. For example, when Sarah Palin brazenly jabs at Michelle Obama’s initiative to improve the health of our children, I say to myself: “Is she for real, or is this just some sort of professional wrestling-style persona she’s taking on?” You know, she’s The Iron Sheik to Michelle Obama’s Hulk Hogan (sorry, my pro wrestling knowledge doesn’t go beyond 1989).

The gist of her oversimplified argument is that government shouldn’t decide what our kids eat; parents should be the ones responsible. The foolishness of this argument is pretty easy to dismantle, but first, it’s important to note that Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative and the Child Nutrition Act (a.k.a. Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act), is not forcing kids to eat what is in schools. They can still brown-bag their lunches. (more…)

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Jason

Save Calories on Your Favorite Holiday Flavored Coffee

It’s the ultimate time of year for indulgence and coffee chains are jumping on the holiday spirit bandwagon by introducing festive beverages that might satisfy your sweet tooth, but also pack plenty of fat and calories by adding heavy cream, milk and extra sugar.

If you don’t want to look like Santa Claus come the end of the year, the coffee shop is a simple place to make smarter choices.

“For every high-calorie drink you forego in December, it’s an hour on the treadmill you won’t spend in January,” editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and author of the best-selling “Eat This, Not That!” series David Zinczenko told the New York Post. “If you cut out caloric drinks, you can pretty much eat whatever you want this year.”

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Posted on December 22, 2023 by Maris

Lactose Free Eggnog to Treat Your Holiday Guests

It might be the season to eat, drink and be merry but if you have lactose intolerance, it can be difficult to navigate buffet tables full of butter, milk, cream and cheese.

Lactose intolerance is difficult to diagnose because it has a lot of the same symptoms as milk allergies. However, while a milk allergy causes the body to react quickly, lactose intolerance is the impaired ability to digest lactose, or milk sugar, over time.

Green Valley Organics offers a line of lactose free yogurts and kefirs that you can use in some of your favorite recipes. And holiday eggnog? Well, there is no reason to miss out if you’re skipping dairy.

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Posted on December 22, 2023 by Maris

Alcoholic Caffeine Drinks Banned as We Know Them

Despite their popularity among college campuses, caffeinated alcoholic beverages that contain a potentially lethal combination of caffeine and alcohol have been removed from the shelves in the U.S. following reports of students becoming dangerously drunk.

One beverage in particular is called Four Loko, a fruit-flavored energy drink that contains 12% alcohol, making it twice as strong as a regular beer, and one 23.5 oz (694ml) can contain as much caffeine as a tall Starbucks coffee.

Four Loko is one of a variety of similar drinks for sale in the U.S. and last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration called on the top four producers in this category to remove the beverages from shelves this month.

Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, the FDA’s principal deputy commissioner, has said that evidence suggested that the mix of caffeine and alcohol posed a “public health concern.”

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Posted on December 21, 2023 by Maris

Computers May Make You Overeat

Most of us do it: eat a quick lunch while we attempt to catch up on the day’s work. While you may be doing your boss proud, it may also have some negative repercussions on how much you eat.

According to a small study, people who eat a meal in front of the computer may eat more dessert than those who eat their meal in a more traditional manner.

In the study of 44 men and women, the participants who played video games during lunch ended up eating more cookies than the others 30 minutes after their meal. The researchers attribute this to computer users having a foggier memory of their meal, which lead to them feeling less full.

The researchers found that those in the computer group ate roughly 250 calories worth of cookies 30 minutes after the meal. On the other hand, the other group ate only about half as many calories. (more…)

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Jason

Eat in-Season Produce Year-Round for Optimal Health

My ultimate favorite time of year to eat produce is in the summer. There are all of those fresh berries, watermelon, corn — it’s delicious! Not to mention that I have the best memories of being a kid picking fresh tomatoes straight from the garden and eating them with just a sprinkle of salt. For a number of years I believed that — at least where I live in the Midwest — you could only eat fresh fruits and veggies during the warmer months, but boy was I wrong. Over the last few years I’ve really gotten into gardening and learning more about where our foods come from and the benefits of eating fresh, local produce. And what I’ve learned is amazing! You can truly eat in-season all year round if you know what to buy — and be healthier because of it. Here’s why!

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Posted on December 21, 2023 by Jennipher

Sheryl Crow to Release Healthy Cookbook in 2024

Sheryl Crow’s Cookbook If It Makes You Healthy released March 29, 2024.

From Real Housewives to comediennes to daytime talk show hosts, it seems like everyone who has had fifteen minutes in the limelight had written a cookbook. As someone with several shelves full of guides to bread baking, cheese making and more, I’m pleased that the next book to join the ranks is from rocker Sheryl Crow.

“It’s called, If It Makes You Healthy, which is sort of a take on [my song] ‘If It Makes You Happy,’” Crow explained Rachael Ray in December 2024. The book, which is a compilation of Crow’s favorite nutritious recipes, will hit stores in March 2024.

Why is a hit singer/songwriter stepping off the stage and into the kitchen? Since her breast cancer diagnosis five years ago, Crow has become interested in cooking. Specifically, she enjoys cooking healthy recipes that help boost immunity.
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Posted on December 21, 2023 by Maris

Bread Battle: Sprouted-Grain vs. Whole-Wheat

BreadIs sprouted grain bread better for you than whole wheat? The Nutrition Lab at the Los Angeles Times weighs in: only a little. While both breads are substantially more nutritious than white bread, the nutritional differences between sprouted grain bread and whole wheat bread is minimal.

Whole-wheat bread is made from wheat kernels that are ground into flour. The flour in white bread is made from just the endosperm of the wheat kernel. The wheat lacks the germ and shell, and is therefore stripped of much of its nutrient.

In sprouted-grain bread, the wheat kernels are allowed to sprout before they are ground down and then baked into bread. Because the sprouted grains are not made into flour, this type of bread is sometimes call “flowerless”–although it still contains gluten. Sprouted-grain bread can be made from a variety of sprouts, including millet, oat or soy.

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Posted on December 20, 2023 by Health Buzz

Dannon Yogurt Drops Misleading Health Claims

Dannon LogoThe yogurt-maker Dannon agreed to drop various health claims made about its products, in addition to paying out $21 million in state and federal settlements. The Federal Trade Commission says that there is not enough scientific proof for Dannon’s claims that Activia yogurt can correct digestive irregularity or that DanActive can boost immunity.

“Consumers want, and are entitled to accurate information when it comes to their health,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement. “Companies like Dannon shouldn’t exaggerate the strength of scientific support for their products.”

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Posted on December 20, 2023 by Health Buzz