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Posted Something Fishy about Tilapia? to Diet Blog
It seems like health experts are always telling us to eat more fish. But not everyone finds that easy to do. Some kinds of fish taste strong and "fishy," which not everyone can tolerate. And other types contain mercury or other contaminants--obviously not ideal. And for those who are cost-conscious? The fish counter can be a very, very scary...
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Posted Staying Active On Vacation: Here's How You Do It to Diet Blog
Everyone needs a holiday from the pressures and routines of "normal" life. But does heading off for a holiday mean taking a break from regular exercise too? The dilemma: how to balance the need to "get away from it all" with the desire to "stay on track" with your physical fitness goals....
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Posted 7 Practical Tips For Beating Exercise Boredom to Diet Blog
Suppose it's time for your workout and you realize you are so not in the mood. And you haven't been for quite a while. Skipping out is looking awfully tempting... but after all the progress you've made, are you in danger of getting out of the habit? Some people love every aspect of their fitness routine and can keep...
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Posted New Superfood: Chia Seeds? to Diet Blog
Chia seeds--yep, the same ones that will eventually grow into one of those goofy chia pets if you encourage them--are being called the newest Superfood. Are they any good for you? And what the heck do you do with them?...
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Posted Eggs: Healthy or Not? to Diet Blog
Eggs are in the news again. Is it good news this time or bad news? Well--it's both. Yet again, eggs are confusing us all by being nutritious, but associated with certain health risks. According to recent studies, the news looks good if you're a woman trying to avoid breast cancer; not quite so good if you're a middle aged...
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Posted Men and Women Eat Differently? to Diet Blog
No, it's not just your imagination: men eat more meat than women do. And women consume more fruits and vegetables than the guys. But who eats the most eggs? Yogurt? Oysters? And who is at most risk for food-borne illness? A recent population survey of 14,000 American adults had at least a few surprises....
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Posted Fitness Tips: What You Can Learn From Seniors to Diet Blog
It's unfortunate that a lot of people believe exercise is for the young, and that "old folks" are destined to be frail and weak. Obviously that's just not true. In fact, if you're not yet elderly yourself but would like some instant workout inspiration: try exercising with a bunch of senior citizens. I did recently, and here are five...
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Posted Are Fat People More Extroverted? to Diet Blog
There used to be a quaint notion that people who were overweight were "jolly" and "fun-loving" and generally more social than skinny folks. But that's just an old wives tale... isn't it? One would think that with the stigma and discrimination overweight people face in modern society, they'd be more shy, anxious, and introverted, right? Well, a new study...
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Posted Afraid of Cold Weather Exercise? to Diet Blog
Many people find it challenging enough to stick to their outdoor exercise plans when the weather's nice. But what if you don't have access to a gym and it's really cold outside? Can't it be dangerous to go out in frigid temperatures? The surprising answer, is: nope, it's never too cold to exercise outdoors. At least not according to...
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Posted Walking Off The Pounds: Did it Just Get Harder? to Diet Blog
It's a great way to shed weight or at least keep from gaining additional pounds--buy a pedometer and track your daily steps. The target number you hear most often is a daunting 10,000 steps a day. Ten thousand steps is almost five miles. That's pretty challenging if you have a hectic schedule, but it's worth it, right? Well, unfortunately,...
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Posted Weight Loss Approaches Around the World to Diet Blog
When we read studies about weight loss approaches and attitudes, we often tend to hear about the American perspective. But what does the rest of the world think? And what are they doing about the growing obesity problem? A recent global survey of over 9,000 people in 13 countries over five continents contained some intriguing contrasts and surprises. For...
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Posted 5 Emergency Tips to Avert Diet Disaster to Diet Blog
Say you've recently resolved to lose weight and eat healthier, and you've been doing a great job. You've been eating the right foods in reasonable portions, and when you have an occasional treat, it's small and it's part of your overall plan. But then one day your friends drag you to a fast food restaurant, and instead of choosing the...
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Posted Chuck the Apples, Pass the Mashed Potatoes? to Diet Blog
For those of us who feel virtuous choosing a big bowl of fruit salad over a serving of mashed potatoes or pasta: a new research report warns that we may not be choosing as wisely as we think. The researchers say fructose, even when consumed in whole fruits, may be more of a problem than starchy foods when it...
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Posted How to Fight Stress (and Extra Pounds ) Over the Holidays to Diet Blog
Chronic stress isn't just an unpleasant feeling--it's a health hazard. Not only can it lead to a variety of medical complaints (from heart disease to autoimmune disorders) but it can contribute to obesity. Don't have the time or the money to take yourself to a spa for a week to mellow out properly? Here are some cheaper, quicker alternatives....
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Posted Eat Fewer Calories: Pay More? to Diet Blog
By now, we all know that for our health, we should try to eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. And that it's best to avoid lots of processed convenience foods. But a new study suggests that eating healthy is getting more and more expensive. This led one of the researchers, Dr. Adam Drewnowski, to declare: "The gap...
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Posted Honey: The News Gets Sweeter to Diet Blog
Can eating honey decrease anxiety and improve memory? Well, a recent study suggests it just might....
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Posted College Students: Wrong Ones Worried About Weight? to Diet Blog
A recent study of body dissatisfaction among college students yielded some surprising contrasts: half of the underweight women thought they were fine the way they were, or wanted to lose even more weight. Yet most of the overweight students were shooting for weights that were still too high to be considered healthy. And what about normal weight women? Care to...
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Posted Do Americans Have a "Drinking Problem?" to Diet Blog
We're not talking about alcoholism this time, though alcohol is apparently one of the culprits. According to researchers at the University of North Carolina, the number of calories American adults get through their beverages has nearly doubled over the past 37 years. How many additional calories does this add up to? And what are the health implications?...
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Posted The Race From Maternity Clothes... to Skinny Jeans? to Diet Blog
In a recent Us Weekly Magazine interview, former Bachelor star Trista Sutter talks about about her "mission" to lose her post-pregnancy weight. “I’m definitely not pleased when I look in the mirror,” the article quotes Sutter as saying, noting that she now wears a size 4 and weighs 116 pounds. "“When I fit into my size 26 Hudson jeans, then...
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Posted Filling Up On Fewer Calories: The American Way to Diet Blog
If you're watching your weight, what's the best way to eat less without feeling deprived? Well, you could ditch all that refined flour and sugar and eat mostly healthy whole foods, selecting the most filling kinds: those naturally packed with fiber, protein, and a bit of healthy fat. Or... perhaps there are easier approaches to "increasing satiety" you might not...
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Posted Eat, Drink, and Be Gorgeous to Diet Blog
Esther Blum, a New York City dietitian, has just come out with a nutritional guide which seems targeted towards a very particular audience: cosmo-drinking, party-going, "gorgeous gals," in their 20's and 30's. Blum promises a "gorgeous path to enlightenment," including "freedom from hangovers, guaranteed great sex, and the know-how to live it up without letting yourself go." Gosh. Guaranteed great...
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Posted Time To Limit Salt in Processed Foods? to Diet Blog
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced it will hold a hearing to consider changing the way it currently regulates salt. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has asked the FDA to make some serious changes, including putting limits on salt in processed foods, and requiring health messages about salt and sodium. Is this proposal unreasonable,...
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Posted Is Stevia Safe? to Diet Blog
Are you one of those folks who counts calories but avoids artificial sweeteners such as Splenda or Equal? If so, you may have considered switching to stevia instead. Stevia is a South American herb that is naturally hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and has no calories. Many assume that because stevia is natural, it must be safe. The...
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Posted Exercise Pill: Would You Still Work Out? to Diet Blog
Don't get excited, scientists haven't invented one yet. But how many times have you heard that if they could put exercise in a pill it would be a miracle drug because of all incredible health benefits exercise provides? It's an interesting mental exercise to pretend that it's already happened. Suppose there was now a pill that could burn the...
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Posted Guide to Exercise: Do You Really Need to Break a Sweat? to Diet Blog
Health experts tend to agree that to be healthy, you need to exercise. But as soon as the questions get more specific, the experts get a lot more quarrelsome. One of the biggest debates: do you really have to do vigorous, sweaty, aerobic exercise for good health? In their recently updated Physical Activity Guidelines, the American College of Sports...
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Posted Women: Tips for a Perfect Figure to Diet Blog
Very few of us women seem to feel completely happy with our bodies. Despite all the helpful pep talks we get about how "every woman is beautiful in her own way," we know, deep down, that it isn't really true. Right? There really are "attractive" and "unattractive" body types, and we could all use some help. So here’s how...
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Posted Power-Walking: 5 Ways to Make it Work For You to Diet Blog
Call it Race-Walking or Speed-Walking or Power-Walking: whatever form you choose, it can be a great alternative to running - particularly for those whose joints can no longer take the pounding running demands. Yet hardly anyone seems to take advantage of this cheap, convenient, calorie-blasting, joint-friendly workout. Why is that?...
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Posted What is Eco-Running? to Diet Blog
Have you seen one of them yet? A runner cruises by you out on the trail, on the beach, in the park, or along the roadsides carrying something unusual. What is it? It's a trash bag! Even more amazing: the runner, often without stopping, bends down and picks up trash and puts it in the bag! What a simple but...
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Posted Buy a Dog To Get Healthy? to Diet Blog
Dog ownership appears to have "a positive influence on health," according to a research review in the British Journal of Health Psychology. The author, Dr. Deborah Wells, found that while pet owners were healthier in general, dog owners in particular got more of a boost than other pet owners. She discovered that dog owners had lower blood pressure and...
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Posted 7 Ways to Deal With Alarming New Research to Diet Blog
If you care enough about your health to be reading up on the latest research, you are unusual. Most folks don't bother. Either the studies seem "boring," or they say things people don't want to hear. (You need to exercise! Stop smoking and eating so much junk food! A six-pack before dinner every night is NOT a smart idea!) So...
