Diet and Nutrition

Seaweed’s Secret Weight Loss Ingredient

If you’re a sushi fan like I am, you already probably enjoy a roll with seaweed wrapped around it. Well, there’s good reason to enjoy a little of this oceanic algae: new research shows that it has a special kind of fiber that reduces your body’s fat uptake by more than 75 percent.

If you can’t stand the idea of eating seaweed, there will be options, such as bread that will be fortified with the special fiber, which is called alginate.

“This research suggests that if we can add the natural fiber to products commonly eaten daily, such as bread and yogurts, up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body.”

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Posted on April 19, 2024 by Jason

Healthy Vacation Tips for Summer Travel

No matter how you plan to get there, traveling can be a fairly overwhelming adventure for some. All the planning, budgeting, shopping, packing and even arranging a sitter for the dog can leave you feeling like you really do need a vacation. Not to add one more thing to your crazed pre-trip task list, but we don’t want you to forget to keep your health in mind.

You’ve likely spent the first half of the year shedding winter weight and eyeing that hot new bikini so that you could take this trip without worrying about love handles and arm jiggle. So don’t hang up your hat now. Taking your diet and fitness habits on the road with you is as good an idea as packing your passport and plane tickets.

You might ask “How do I balance the lazy days of vacation with not falling off the wagon?” Well, the answer is you do just that – balance. Whether at home, the beach or some place in between, a healthy lifestyle is all about practicing balance and moderation. We’ll show you how. (more…)

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Natalie K

Chicago Schools Make Positive Cafeteria Changes

Have you been watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution or reading the Mystery School Lunch blog? Are you wondering if changing the menu at your kids school is too difficult to even try. Do you feel like there’s no hope?

One city in America has made drastic changes in the menu plan for the next school year, which begins July 1. The  documents originally released to the Chicago Tribune show that nacho service will be reduced to once a week in Chicago high schools, and once a month in elementary schools; sweet packaged desserts will also be reduced to weekly treats; and donuts and Pop-Tarts will be eliminated in the new school year.

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Posted on April 17, 2024 by Carmen

Achieve Healthy Goals with Social Networking

Guest blogger Carrie Labowitz is a business professional/blogger that uses her network of followers to stay on track and reach her goals.  Follow her on her blog, Fit to Fat and Back.

Last year a friend introduced me to social networking and I found myself spending hours searching for friends and family. I noticed how everyone was updating their status to reflect plans for the day or goals, what I really found interesting was the support they received from their friends. 

It was then that I started to wonder if I could find a group online to support me in my weight loss and wellness goals.

I found site after site specifically set up to provide me with the tools I needed to achieve my goals. Frankly, I joined too many sites, but eventually narrowed it down to sites I found most helpful. A year later I have lost 40 pounds and have started running. 

I accomplished these things with the support of my family and friends, but largely due to the support of the online community I connected with as a result of social networking. 

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Posted on April 17, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Ruby’s Mom May Have Intentionally Overfed Her

A major story line in the latest season of Ruby hovers around her suspicion that she may have been molested or abused as a child, and that she has been repressing those memories for all these years.

In Ruby’s discussions with her mother, I just had a feeling that maybe she knew more about what Ruby went through than she was leading onto. Ruby has eluded to a suspicion that a past doctor of hers has that maybe her mother overfed her as a child to protect her from the wondering eyes of men.

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Posted on April 16, 2024 by Jason

High Glycemic Foods Spike Heart Risks in Women

If a new study is correct, women have a new reason to minimize their intake of certain carbohydrates: heart disease. According to the study, women who eat more high glycemic foods, such as white bread, white rice, and other foods that cause blood sugar to spike, are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease than other women. Foods that spike blood sugar are also referred to as high glycemic.

The women in the upper 25th percentile of high glycemic food eating in the study had double the heart attack risk of those in the lower 25th percentile.

The researchers found that men who also eat excessive amounts of high glycemic foods don’t have the same increased risk. It’s thought that maybe men’s bodies process the carbs differently.

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Posted on April 15, 2024 by Jason

Teacher Punished for Offering Students Healthy Food

English teacher Mendy Heaps had never given much thought to the food her seventh-grade students were eating. Then her husband, an habitual junk food eater, was diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Suddenly the french fries, pizza, and ice cream being served in the cafeteria at her school began to affect her. Heaps decided to take action.

She began to teach nutrition in her language arts classes. Over and over, she sent emails of articles and news clippings to her colleagues, administrators, and the local school board, urging them to overhaul the school menu. She began selling fresh fruits and healthy snacks to the students on her own, wheeling healthier foods from classroom to classroom on a makeshift fruit cart, doling out apples for a quarter each.

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Posted on April 15, 2024 by Carmen

Do Packaged Foods Need a Fiber Boost?

Dietitians have been trying to get people to eat more fiber for a long time. It is recommended that we get 25-30 grams per day. Dietary fiber is found in foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.

Fiber helps with lowering cholesterol, stabilizing blood sugar, and promote digestive regularity. Also, when you eat fiber, you are more full and satisfied. You tend to eat fewer calories and maintain a healthy weight. Despite these benefits, many people don’t eat enough of these foods. In fact, 70 percent of Americans do not meet recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake. There’s a good chance they may not be getting enough fiber either. This is why one of the reasons companies are adding fiber to food products.

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Posted on April 14, 2024 by Rebecca

Extreme Dieting: Now with Parasites?

In many areas of the world, females are under immense pressure to be thin. This pressure is especially intense in Asia, where women always seem to be looking for ways to get skinnier. Experts say dieting in Asia tends to be more extreme than in the West, because of cultural perceptions of size. Asian men tend to be small. So, in order to feel masculine, they appreciate a woman who is even smaller than they are.

“The magic number is to be below 100 pounds, no matter your height or your weight,” says Philippa Yu, a clinical psychologist at the Hong Kong Eating Disorders Association. Often, women do not exercise to achieve this unrealistic weight, because of the perception that it will cause muscle growth, which is seen as masculine.

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Posted on April 13, 2024 by Carmen

Tune in: Reverse Heart Disease in 30 Days on the Dr. Oz Show

Tune in this Wednesday, April 14 to the Dr. Oz Show to learn how you can reverse your risk of heart disease in just 30 days.

Heart disease is the number one killer in the country, but fortunately, many of the disease’s risk factors can be largely prevented through lifestyle means like following a healthy diet, exercising regularly and reducing stress.

On Wednesday, Dr. Oz encourages those who are at risk for heart disease to follow a 30-day vegan diet.

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Posted on April 12, 2024 by heather

Tune in: Kirstie Alley on the Ellen Degeneres Show

Tune in this Tuesday, April 13 to the Ellen Degeneres Show when Kirstie Alley stops by to discuss her highly publicized battle with weight and to share her weight loss progress with viewers.

Just recently, Kirstie premiered her own reality show, My Big Life, which chronicles her very up and down battle with her weight. In her attempts to get healthy her own way, she has also created her own weight loss plan, Organic Liason, the first USDA certified organic weight loss program.

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Posted on April 12, 2024 by heather