You go to the gym several days a week trying to get rid of that unsightly belly fat that seems to have taken up permanent residence on your lap. After a good workout, you pass by the soda machines and grab a diet soda on the way out the door. You’re thirsty and you want something cold and sweet with a little kick to it. But what you don’t know is that drinking diet soda is negating your belly-blasting workout. It may also be setting you up for further serious disease as well. How could that be, you ask? Well, […]
Eating healthfully on the night shift to optimize your energy levels and ‘feel fueled’ is its own science. Here are some quick tips and ideas for brown bag meals that will help you avoid the drowsy ‘post-lunch’ feeling when you’re working through the night. Instead of having a large meal, have several quick, healthy snacks. Remember that your body’s normal digestive rhythm can also be disrupted by shift work, resulting in indigestion and heartburn, which can awaken you and keep you up when you’re trying to sleep. Eat small portions to include two meals and two snacks, eating every two […]
In the last year alone, scientists from three different laboratories have published studies that demonstrate how polyphenol molecules derived from apples extend life span in various species by as much as 12%. These researchers are unraveling the various mechanisms of action that give apple polyphenols such promise as anti-aging nutrients. Initial findings show that apple polyphenols modulate multiple signaling molecules to delay the onset of age-related disorders. They may also mimic the actions of calorie restriction, a known antiaging technique. One polyphenol, phloridzin, which is heavily concentrated in the skin of the apple, also potently suppresses several processes leading to glycation, […]
Cancer is responsible for 1 out of every 4 deaths in the U.S.A. One of the best cancer-prevention tools for health is eating the right foods, but finding the motivation to eat right sometimes alludes us until we, or someone we love, is faced with a deadly disease. Garlic, produces sulfur compounds and allicin. Sulfur compounds detoxify the body and help prevent cancer. Allicin thins the blood and reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer. It’s best to eat garlic after it has been crushed so that these cancer-fighting compounds can form. Dried garlic or roasted garlic doesn’t […]
By Ginger Hultin, MS, RDN, LDN The active component in Nature’s Way Bitter Orange product has been studied with interest for its role in weight loss, and despite much caution with regards to side effects, has proven relatively safe in some animal and human research. The product has shown some efficacy for modest weight loss and has made its way onto the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list when consumed as a food (peel, flower or leaf). However, when taking the extract which acts like a stimulant to the sympathetic nervous system, or the body’s fight-or-flight system, there are some […]
One of the biggest fears my patients have about getting older is losing their mental sharpness. But, the truth is, mental decline is not a “given” of getting older. Rather, it’s a consequence, or the end result, of not safeguarding your overall health. That’s why I’d like to tell you about 3 simple ways you can greatly reduce your risk of mental decline… Slow Mental Decline 3 Simple Ways When I tell my patients that they likely take better care of their cars than their own health, they laugh. But, then they think about it a moment and agree that […]
Most of the people I know have very strong feelings about mushrooms—they either love them or hate them. One of the beauties of mushrooms is that they usually take on the flavor of whatever they are cooked with. If it’s garlic and olive oil, that’s what they taste like. If they’re in a spicy Asian stir fry, they take on those flavors. One thing is certain — mushrooms are healthy little powerhouses of immunity boosters, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Rich in B vitamins such as riboflavin, folate, thiamine, pantothenic acid, and niacin, they are also the only vegan, non-fortified dietary […]
Exploring the world’s blue zones (or, “longevity hot spots”) provides clues as to why certain people live longer
The results of a large cohort study and updated meta-analyses, published on May 6, 2015 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, add evidence to a protective effect for magnesium and potassium against the risk of stroke in women. For the prospective cohort study, Harvard researchers evaluated data from 86,149 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study I (NHS I) and 94,715 participants in the NHS II. Dietary questionnaires completed by NHS I participants in 1980, 1984, 1986 and every four years thereafter, and in 1991 and every four years thereafter in the NHS II were analyzed for the intake of calcium, magnesium […]
Type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic across the United States, particularly in those 50 and older.