If you want to improve your sleep – get moving! In a new poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation – the results were compelling – exercise is fantastic for sleep. Highlights from this evaluation included the following… (National Sleep Foundation, news release, March 4, 2013) People who engaged in any level of exercise were much more […]
The “Mediterranean Diet” has already garnered a sparking and well-deserved reputation as the champion of all heart-healthy diets, and it just won a scientific grand slam. In this landmark evaluation, researchers placed almost 7,500 older adults with risk factors for heart disease on one of three diet plans – a Mediterranean diet where most of […]
As a seventh generation Southern gal, I was dismayed, but certainly not surprised that a new study found a “Southern Diet” may dramatically boost the risk of strokes. In what is considered the first large-scale study on how consuming Southern foods like fried chicken and sweet tea impact stroke risk, the results were profound. The […]
Trans fats – This truly toxic man-made fat provides a quadruple insult to your arteries – clogging them more readily than any other food ever identified. Trans fats boost LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, elevate triglycerides, and incite damaging inflammation in your arteries. Strictly avoid them by staying away from stick margarine, shortening, […]
Beets are striking in appearance and nutritional value. This crimson-colored root vegetable is home to a unique family of plant pigments called betalains. Betalains exhibit strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying capabilities. When you combine beet’s betalains with its mother load of vitamin C and manganese, two other antioxidant workhorses, along with its hit of folate […]
Roasted soy nuts – This crunchy, nutty, great-tasting whole soy food is loaded with heart-healthy goodness including B vitamins, vitamin E, omega 3 fats, and soluble fiber. Whole soy foods have been shown to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol, providing a double-bonus for heart-health. Walnuts – Nuts in general score a perfect 10 […]
Most everyone already knows that what and how much you eat matters for weight loss. But there is growing evidence that when you eat matters too. In the very first large scale study of its type, investigators sought to examine how “meal timing” affects weight loss. Specifically, researchers followed 420 overweight study subjects who were […]
The brain is especially sensitive and demanding when it comes to nutrition, so I wasn’t surprised to see a new report linking fruits and veggies to enhanced mental well-being. For this evaluation, researchers had 781 young adults keep a daily log of the various foods they ate along with noting how they felt using nine […]
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 […]
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”.
The disease-busting credentials of apples and berries just received a nice boost thanks to some nifty new science. In the apple study – investigators found that healthy adults who consumed a single large apple a day for four weeks lowered their levels of “oxidized LDL” (the toxic form of bad cholesterol that initiates artery-clogging) by […]
High-intensity interval training, known as HIIT, has been scoring one scientific victory after another, and I am excited to share two new study findings that I hope will excite you as much as they did me. HIIT involves brief (generally 30 seconds) yet very intense aerobic activity alternating with 3-4 minutes of very light activity […]
