Raising a healthy eater can sometimes be easier said than done. Here are my top 5 tips for raising a healthy eater: Be a healthy role model. Make sure your home is a haven for healthy eating. Sit down for family meals as often as possible. Always use positive language and an upbeat, cheerful attitude […]
If you don’t want to lose your mind as you get older, you may want to pay close attention to your carbohydrate consumption. A study from Mayo Clinic researchers found that elderly subjects who consumed the most carb foods and sugars were the most likely to become cognitively-impaired. For the study, researchers followed the diets […]
Breakfast options are notoriously unhealthy across all major fast food chains. Bacon, sausage, cheese, and more cheese, biscuits, gravy, pancakes, French toast, hash browns, cinnamon buns, Danishes, and white flour bagels, and English muffins, are not on Dr. Ann’s approved list of breakfast foods. Even the token offerings of seemingly “healthy” choices like yogurt parfaits […]
After immersing human tooth enamel in a broad range of sports drinks and energy drinks several times a day – dental researchers observed irreversible tooth enamel erosion after just five days. Both beverages are highly acidic and acids in beverages are known to erode tooth enamel. (General Dentistry May/June 2012) From 2001 to 2009, the […]
For individuals who cannot consume cow’s milk or soy milk, alternatives like rice milk, almond milk and oatmeal milk are now available in most grocers. Although these “milk alternatives” can be a convenient substitute, they are nutritionally anemic relative to soy milk and cow’s milk, especially in their protein content. Cows’ milk and soy milk […]
In a study involving 559 teens, the more fructose (a component of sugary foods and beverages) they consumed, the higher their blood pressure and fasting blood sugar, and the lower their HDL (good) cholesterol. These finding were most marked in teens with excess belly fat. (Journal of Nutrition, February 2012) In a study that sought […]
Not many cereals are healthy. Instead, most are just the opposite, loaded with sugar. Based on a review by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, the 10 cereals wtih the highest sugar content (by percentage weight) are: Kellogg’s Honey Smacks (55.6%) Post Golden Crisp (51.9%) Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmellow (48.3%) Quaker Oats […]
In a first-of-its-kind, elegantly designed study, scientists determined that physically fit 9 and 10 year olds have a bigger hippocampus (key area of the brain involved in memory and learning) and perform better cognitively than their less-fit peers. (Brain Research, Sept 2010) Children/teens who consume “competitive foods” at school (those sold in vending machines […]
As a family physician, nutrition expert, and mother of 4, I am delighted to share my top picks for the healthiest snacks for kids. Cut fresh veggies (baby carrots, celery sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli/cauliflower florets, etc.) – serve along with a “healthy dip” like hummus, low-fat salad dressing, guacamole, or salsa. Low-fat yogurt – […]
Extreme obesity is affecting record numbers of children including 7.3% of boys and 5.5% of girls. Those hit hardest are teenage African American girls (11.9%) and Hispanic teenage boys (11.2%) (Journal of Pediatrics, March 2010). As a parent, here are the most powerful steps you can take to protect your child from obesity. Related: […]
Most infants in the US are not getting adequate amounts of vitamin D. Among those exclusively breast fed, only 5% to 13% met the guidelines for 400 IUs of vitamin D daily. For those formula fed, only 20% to 37% did. (Pediatrics, March 2010). In children, low levels of vitamin D have been associated with […]
Researchers who followed over 8,000 US 4 year olds found that regularly engaging in the following 3 activities was associated with a dramatic reduction in obesity risk: eating “family” dinner 5 or more times a week, watching TV less than 2 hours a day, and getting at least 10 ½ hours of nightly sleep. (Pediatrics, […]
