Lisa Fox, 49, of Allen, Texas was an active and healthy child growing up. A lack of video games and computers in the 60s and 70s led her to constantly be outdoors, riding bikes and playing with friends. Despite a fairly healthy diet of mainly home-cooked meals, Lisa’s issues with food began early on as she would frequently overindulge when she really enjoyed something.
A little on the heavy side from grade school on, Lisa’s weight didn’t become a real issue until she reached her 30s and 40s when her poor diet and inactivity began to catch up with her. Snacking was her downfall, often reaching for things like chips and desserts. And for meals she loved anything covered in cheese and cream sauces. These unhealthy habits meant the fruits and vegetables she purchased would often go to waste as she rarely chose to eat them over more indulgent options.
Your child’s food in school is changing for the better. Last year the USDA required new healthier guidelines for school lunches. The changes to school lunches were made to help stop the increasing rate of childhood obesity. As reported by USA Today, foods sold at schools’ a la carte and vending machines will have to be healthier than they were before.
Here is a proposed standard of what a la carte and vending machines could look like in the near future:
Foods cannot contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and saturated fat.
Reduced-fat cheese, nuts and nut butters (almond butter, peanut butter, pistachio butter) can contain trans fat, but no other alternative foods can have trans fat.
A la carte and vending machine foods must be either a fruit, vegetable, dairy produce, protein food, whole-grain-rich grains or a combination of foods that have 1/4 cup of fruit of vegetables.
10% of calcium, potassium vitamin D or fiber must be present in the foods. (more…)
Calling all chocolate lovers! We have the perfect Valentine’s dessert for you and it just so happens to be healthy, decadent and loaded with antioxidants. Finally, a Valentine treat we can actually feel good about.
Inspired by our editor, I created this beautiful bark last week in preparation for Valentine’s Day. Just because we operate a health and diet website doesn’t mean we don’t crave chocolate once in a while (or every day).
The entire time I was prepping the ingredients I couldn’t wait to take a sample bite of the finished product. The luscious dark chocolate, thesalty pistachios and the sweet, crisp pomegranates were sure to be a stellar flavor combination. Sure enough, my suspicions were right. (more…)
February is National Heart Health Month, making it the perfect time to highlight some foods that promote heart health, as well as list those that do more harm than good.
While heart disease can be hereditary, its prevention begins with a healthy lifestyle. For starters, this means no smoking, monitoring your blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and incorporating exercise and a healthy, well-balanced diet into your everyday routine.
Diet alone can play a huge role in heart disease prevention. In general, heart healthy foods are ones that are natural, whole foods that don’t come in a box and instead come straight from nature. Fresh fruits and vegetables are certainly a cornerstone of heart-healthy foods for their high nutrient and vitamin content and their amazing ability to cleanse free radicals from the blood stream. (more…)
I don’t know about you but I’m getting pretty excited about the big NFL bowl game this Sunday as it holds a special place in my heart. Ironically enough, though my husband and I aren’t the biggest big sports fans we met at a bowl party several years ago where we became friends. Not more than one year later we were married, so every time the big game rolls around in February I think back on that special day.
Being the foodie that I am, the immediate second place my mind goes to when thinking about football is food. Lucky for me there will be no short supply of good eats come February 3, and we have you covered with some healthier options for your game day spread. Instead of filling your guests with queso and bacon-wrapped meat, serve up these eight healthier dips that any football fan would love.
There’s a new cola war going on, but it’s a little more serious than the old Pepsi vs. Coke feud of decades past. Obesity is out of control, stretching our already stretched-thin health care system, and sugar consumption is center stage.
So, what do you do when you are the purveyor of some of the biggest selling, empty-calorie, sugar-laden drinks in our country’s history? Well, you play damage control, of course.
“We have not done a good enough job in telling our story and being consistent in telling our story,” said Coca-Cola spokeswoman Diana Garza Ciarlante.
Right, the problem is that people don’t know what Coca-Cola is really all about. In reality, we’re talking about a propaganda war. Try to soften the blow of bad publicity, then draw more attention to your diet soda by signing a major celebrity spokeswoman — Taylor Swift announced her partnership pitching Diet Coke last Sunday:
But back to damage control. Coke decided to take on obesity directly, with their “Coming Together” campaign, pointing out that of their 650 beverages, they offer 180 low- or no-calorie drinks. (more…)
Fruits are good for you, yes? They are filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and other wholesome nutrients. If your diet is made up of just fruits though, you might be out of your mind. Ashton Kutcher was when he started eating only fruits for a film role.
Kutcher stars in the upcoming film “jOBS,” in which he plays the late Steve Jobs. In order for Kutcher to look like the skinny and lanky Jobs, he had to shed some weight and do it fast. Jobs had been known to practice odd eating habits, which influenced Kutcher’s diet. There was a time when Jobs gave up meat and only ate fruit, and that’s how Kutcher found the Fruitarian Diet .
For a couple of months, Ashton ate nothing but fruit to lose weight. Then, right before filming, it is reported that he was hospitalized because of serious health issues. The actor said, “I was like doubled over in pain, and my pancreas levels were completely out of whack, which was completely terrifying considering everything.” Kutcher concluded that his hospitalization was due to his strict fruit diet. (more…)
I love a smoothie! Honestly there is nothing wrong with this food. It’s completely customizable, satisfying, and delicious. And let’s talk about how nutritionally dense they are. When I’m feeling run down, sluggish, or just need to reboot after an indulgent weekend, I attack my blender.
A three-city road trip with my family last weekend left me in such a state, so it’s been smoothie mornings all week. I more or less make the same version every time depending on what I have. But yesterday’s smoothie was so awesome, tasted so fresh, and four hours later had me yet to clamor for a snack, it just had to be shared on Twitter!
My morning is being fueled by smoothie awesomeness – Raspberry @chobani, avocado, banana, spinach, blueberry, strawberry, honeycrisp apple.
That avocado and spinach that you’re curling your lips at? Can’t even taste them. But your body knows they are there and that’s what matters. If I don’t make smoothies with avocados, I’m hungry an hour or two later. The healthy fats keep me satisfied well past a normal snack time.
I’m not the only one sharing smoothie recipes on Twitter. Frankly, I’m not the only one sharing what I eat on any social network. It’s a thing. I’m part of it. Sort of proud, but definitely not ashamed. So I looked around and gathered the best tweeted smoothie recipes from the past week and found enough ideas to keep us all crushing ice and fruit for a few days.
Having a mini-breakdown because my “dinner” tonight is a kale-cucumber-celery-cilantro-jalapeño smoothie. Day 3 of The Cleanse.
Whole Foods expands its recall of Whole Catch Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon because of possible listeria contamination.
Consumers should check package codes for UPC code 0 99482 40880 0 sold in 18 states.
The original recall was for lot code 7425A2298B, sold in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Utah.
This extended recall includes lot code 7425A2297A, sold in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. (more…)
By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., Best Life lead nutritionist
I’ll admit it—I’ve given unsolicited advice to total strangers in the cereal aisle, but only when they look truly bewildered. It’s my nutritionist’s instinct, what can I say? Believe it or not, choosing a healthy cereal is not as complicated as you might think, especially when you follow a few simple steps.
Start with the ingredient list. Check to make sure all grains are whole. Examples of whole grains: barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, triticale, whole rye, whole wheat, and anything else with “whole” in front of it. For more on what is and isn’t a whole grain, click here. I’d avoid sucralose (Splenda), acesulfame K, aspartame (Nutrasweet), and any other artificial sweetener—you don’t need these in a cereal. (more…)
Alzheimer’s: The word conjures up scary thoughts of slowly losing your memory as you become a shell of your former self. Experts project that diagnoses of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is the primary cause, will triple worldwide by 2050. But scientists tell us that preventative measures can go a long way in protecting the brain from memory loss diseases, and they are as simple as doing things like making changes in your diet.
Here are 10 super foods that work to boost brain power and, in turn, lessen your chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. No one food has been shown to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but healthy eating habits appear to be one of the top factors in lowering your risk for developing Alzheimer’s or dementia.
1. Wild Salmon, Tuna, Sardines (Omega-3 Fatty Acids) The American Heart Association recommends eating fish at least twice a week because it contains vital omega-3 fatty acids. These good fats help the body function properly and may slow cognitive decline by 10 percent, studies show.
“The main concept is that a diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids creates BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), a protein between nerve cells that helps increase the strength between connections,” said Michael Gonzalez-Wallace, author of “Super Body Super Brain.” Trout, mackerel, and herring are also good choices, and taking a fish oil vitamin can also help your body obtain this much-needed nutrient. (more…)
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