Bad news, America – Consuming too much salt may damage your brain. That was the eye-opening conclusion from a pivotal lab study. Unfortunately, 90 percent of Americans consume more than the recommended levels of salt in their day-to-day diets, and rates of dementia are steadily rising and expected to reach catastrophic levels in the next […]
Thanks to a lab study, the disease-busting credentials of the diminutive, yet all-powerful blueberry got even bigger. Scientists fed a group of mice genetically prone to develop premature heart disease standard rat chow spiked with blueberry powder and a second group the same diet without the blueberry powder. After 20 weeks, the mice fed the […]
In an intriguing, landmark report published in the prestigious journal, Science, scientists discovered that simply thinking about eating a food can diminish your appetite for it. It seems counterintuitive, but when study subjects mentally visualized or imagined eating a particular food (in this study M&M’s ), they subsequently ate significantly less of it relative to […]
Grilling is fun, easy, and tasty, but it may be hazardous to your health. Grilled meat, especially red meat, is a well-known source of 2 cancer-causing agents, namely heterocyclic amines (HCA’s) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s). HCA’s develop when the muscle proteins of meats are exposed to high heat. PAH’s form in the black, charred outer portions […]
In a powerful landmark report that sought to drill down to what specific dietary and lifestyle factors most closely correlated to weight gain over time, Harvard researchers uncovered some very striking and consistent findings. This behemoth of a study involved over 115,000 adults followed for up to 20 years. Of all the factors they followed […]
We are consuming record amounts of sugars in our diets. Based on the latest scientific reports, the average American consumes 350-475 calories a day of “added” sweeteners. That is the equivalent of 22-30 teaspoons! (“Added” sugars are those that are put into processed foods and beverages – not the “natural” sugars already present in foods […]
Fiber’s reputation as a nutritional hero just got even sexier. In fact, fiber may be the real fountain of youth. That was the upshot of a new Australian study that followed the diets and health statuses of over 1,600 adults for a ten-year period. At the beginning of the study all of the study subjects […]
Processed meats repeatedly rear their unhealthy heads in scientific circles and, a mammoth new evaluation (over half a million adults) echoed former findings linking processed meats to poorer health. In this new study, the more processed meats consumed, the greater the risk of premature death from heart disease, strokes, and cancer. Risks were apparent with intakes as […]
Regardless of your health status or body weight, sitting for prolonged periods of time dramatically boosts your risk of premature chronic disease and death – in some studies on par with smoking and obesity. To learn more, listen to my podcast “The Dangers of Sitting”.
A generous handful (1 oz.) of mixed nuts – I love the Kirkland’s Extra Fancy Mixed Nuts® from Costco. 2/3 of a cup of Greek plain yogurt with ½ tbs of almond butter and 1 Tbsp. of blackstrap molasses (I use a ramekin) A large, fresh carrot dipped in hummus Food Should Taste Good® brand […]
CSA stands for “community supported agriculture” and thankfully, this new system for procuring farm fresh local produce is becoming more and more accessible. As a member of a CSA, you pay an upfront subscription to a local farm to receive a weekly or biweekly box of fresh produce. Before I had my own vegetable garden, […]
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 […]