Minimize consumption of saturated fats. Fatty cuts of beef, pork, and lamb, poultry skin, whole dairy products (milk, cream, full-fat cheeses, ice cream), palm and coconut oil. Saturated fat is the primary dietary culprit that elevates your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Follow these simple strategies to raise your HDL (good) cholesterol level. Lose weight, if overweight. […]
Blueberries owe their deep, blue color to a class of phytochemicals called anthocyanins. Like lycopene, anthocyanins have potent antioxidant power, but they are also true workhorses when it comes to fighting inflammation. Science is now telling us that excessive inflammation plays a major role in the development of a broad range of diseases, including heart […]
Chocolate and dessert lovers rejoice! I have a recipe for a healthy chocolate sundae that will have your mouths watering. Simply take 2 scoops of “Purely Decadent” brand coconut milk ice cream (vanilla bean or coconut flavor) and smother it with 2 ounces of melted 72% (or higher) dark chocolate (I like Ghiradelli’s “Midnight Reverie”), and […]
The data on vitamin D and health just keeps pourin’ in. Here are some highlights: For teens living in the “sunny” south, low vitamin D levels were common, including 56 percent with insufficient levels and 30 percent with full-blown vitamin D deficiency. (Pediatrics, June 2010) In a study that followed 531 women over six years, […]
An eye-popping report adds to growing evidence that diet drinks may be working against us in our efforts to lose weight. Researchers who followed 474 people over a 10-year period found those who used diet sodas experienced a 70% increase in their belly circumference vs. those who did not drink diet sodas. For frequent diet […]
If burning fat is one of your goals for working out, you may want to skip your post-workout snack. Reporting in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (2007), investigators found that after a 1-hour walk on the treadmill, study subjects experienced a 40% boost in insulin efficiency (which translates to a faster metabolism […]
Perhaps one of the most eye-popping and important scientific developments on the health front has been the recognition that prolonged sitting is definitely hazardous to our health. Regardless of the amount of “exercise” you get over the course of the day – sitting for long segments of time comes with a host of adverse metabolic […]
Scientists already determined that eating chili peppers (and other hot foods) can boost mood by triggering the release of the brain’s natural feel good chemicals – and thanks to this lab study, we have another happy reason to eat them. Scientist determined that the chemical capsaicin, which provides chili pepper’s spicy hot kick, can boost the activity […]
Building the Best Lunch To keep your children’s bodies and brains in peak performance mode and to safeguard against the ravages of unhealthy foods, be sure your child powers up with a nutritious lunch. The three basic building blocks for the best lunches include: Healthy protein Fiber-rich carbs, to include at least one serving of […]
Based on the studies I have reviewed over the years, I remain wildly enthusiastic about the healthful goodness in tea. Confirming what I intuitively felt to be the case, scientists concluded that bottled teas are essentially worthless from a health standpoint even though people pay lots of money for them (to the tune of 1 […]
We already know that walnuts are one of the most effective foods on the planet for the prevention of heart attacks and a new study finds they may be potent cancer-fighters too. Researchers at the UC Davis Cancer Center fed lab rats genetically engineered to get prostate cancer rat chow supplemented with the human equivalent […]
There is now robust evidence that dementia develops over several decades and that physical activity/exercise, because it benefits the brain through so many different ways, is arguably the single most powerful strategy available to protect our mental faculties. Simply taking a brisk 30-minute walk most days during your adult life may mean the difference between […]
