Here are some of my favorite, healthy substitutions: 100% spreadable fruit for regular jelly/jams Trans fat free spreads for stick butter or margarines Part-skim or 2% cheeses for full fat varieties Omega 3 fortified eggs for standard eggs Romaine hearts for iceberg lettuce Ground turkey breast for ground beef Greek-style plain yogurt for sour cream […]
54% of the American population has unhealthy cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber and phytosterols are nature’s most potent cholesterol-lowering agents. Here is where you can get the most of each from mother earth’s apothecary: Soluble fiber – beans, peas, barley, flax seeds, oats, oat bran, chia seeds, avocado, carrots, collards, and oranges. Phytosterols – sesame seeds, […]
Cantaloupe is a summer food standout on the healthy living front. One cup of this juicy, sweet, refreshing fruit provides more than 100% of your daily requirement for vitamins A and C, all for just 56 calories! To make the tastiest choice, sniff the stem end to ensure a sweet fragrance and choose one that […]
I consider beans to be the most underutilized superfood. Here are 7 compelling reasons to include them in your diet every day. Beans have megawatt nutritional power. They provide a hefty dose of vegetable protein, more fiber and folate than any other food group, a load of potent antioxidant flavonoids, and key minerals including iron, […]
Here are some quick highlights from a number of cool, new studies on the weight loss front: High intensity aerobic exercise is effective for reshaping body contour. (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Oct 08). If you want to “spot” reduce your waistline, high intensity workouts appear to do the trick. Spinning has definitely […]
Of all the radical changes in the modern American diet compared to that consumed by our hunter-gatherer ancestors, our record consumption (3 fold increase since 1970!) of sweetened beverages (soda, sports drinks, etc.) is arguably the most profound and tops my list as one of the most high risk of all our unhealthy habits. Sweetened […]
Given our toxic food culture, cultivating self-discipline on the eating front is an invaluable practice. According to an intriguing new study, keeping “some” high-risk, tempting foods in your midst is an effective means to build will power. Investigators found that study subjects who had been previously tempted by forbidden foods exercised more self-restraint when offered […]
Cancer of the pancreas remains one of the most deadly of all malignancies and a new study provides the most powerful evidence yet, linking grilled or charred red meat with this ominous disease. After closely following the deaths of 62,000 healthy adults over a nine year period, investigators reported that those with the highest intakes […]
A while back I reported on a clinical trial that found taking supplemental doses of vitamin C unexpectedly blunted some of the beneficial physiological changes that occur in the body as a result of physical activity. According to a new report in the May 11th edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, […]
A landmark, new report confirms something I have strongly suspected for some time, and should have profound implications for our approach to combating the crushing burden the obesity epidemic continues to place on our society. Reporting at the European Congress on Obesity (Amsterdam, May 09), scientists determined that the meteoric uptick in our obesity rates […]
When it comes to palatal pleasure and health-boosting performance nuts score a perfect 10, and an exciting new laboratory study provides yet another reason for women to be nuts over nuts. Scientists reporting at the American Association for Cancer Research, (Denver, Apr 09) found that mice engineered to develop breast cancer who were fed the […]
Did you know that some of the very same pigments (phytochemicals) that give plant foods their deep, rich color can provide “built-in” SPF for your skin? It’s deliciously true and as the summer rapidly approaches, I wanted you to be aware of this little recognized fact. The very same phytochemicals that are responsible for launching […]
