Archive for 'Food & Nutrition'
Berries for Brain Health
Research has suggested for years that strawberries, blueberries and blackberries may help restore cognitive functioning and prevent age-related memory loss, which has been accelerating in recent years due to factors such as poor diet, pollution, and lifestyle habits.
Full StoryBeyond Bread – Top 3 Foods to Avoid if You’re Gluten Intolerant
Gluten, an ingredient that causes flours to rise during baking, has been under scrutiny for years now, and if you’re intolerant to it, the first food you’ve likely been advised to avoid is bread, among other wheat and grain-based foods. Unfortunately, gluten is an allergen for some, leading to symptoms such as skin rashes, headaches and irritable bowel syndrome, and has even been linked to rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
Full StoryGet Control of Overeating
If you have a hard time resisting sugar, fat and salt, you’re not alone – and the food industry may be partly to blame. Dr. David Kessler, former head of the FDA, recently released a new book, The End of Overeating – Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, which offers an inside look at the commercial food industry.
Full StoryAllergy-Prone? Foods to Avoid
Spring weather has hit parts of the US already, and if you’re sensitive to pollen and other allergens, your eyes and sinuses may already be feeling the change in season and responding with unpleasant watering, itching, and sneezing. However, for people sensitive to food allergies, “season” could be any time you indulge in certain foods.
Full StoryChildhood Obesity Reaches New Problems in the Classroom & Beyond
With rates of childhood obesity steadily on the rise, pediatricians are now saying once-standard growth charts are no longer applicable. Approximately 17% of youths are obese, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Full StoryThe Facts About Salt
Salt is comprised of sodium chloride or NaCl. It is essential to life in small quantities, yet harmful in larger doses. Too much salt is known to increase your risk of high blood pressure, a major cause of heart attacks and strokes, which are the 1st and 3rd leading causes of death in the United States.
Full StoryCan Whey Protein Help With Weight Loss?
A recent study found that whey protein, a substance found in milk, can change body weight and composition in beneficial ways. Six scientists from the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center conducted the twenty-three week study to see how this nutrient-rich protein would affect adults. Among the ninety obese and overweight participants, the people who consumed whey protein lost weight and had a decrease in fat mass.
Full StoryEat Less, Live Longer?
Could living longer be as simple as eating less? While the conclusion is pretty straightforward, the findings from of a team of scientists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden were quite complex, involving the effect of caloric intake on metabolic processes. The researchers found that consumption of fewer calories could be linked to slowing the onset of age-related diseases, as caloric restriction prevented a particular enzyme from being inactivated. This enzyme, peroxiredoxin, says study author Mikael Molin of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, “is extremely important in counteracting damage to our genetic material.”
Full StoryWhat Are Probiotics?
It wasn’t until recently that I began to notice probiotics everywhere I go. What are probiotics? And what are their benefits? Probiotics have been around for a very long time. In fact, many ancient cultures knew of the healing powers probiotics could offer, they got them from fermented food and cultured milk. The use these foods for healing can be found throughout Hindu and Christian texts. It wasn’t until modern times that Americans began to discover its true benefits.
Full StoryThe Benefits of Vitamin C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is one of the most accessible vitamins due to the fact it’s found in many common fruits and veggies. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin; our bodies don’t actually store it. Anything left over is passed through our urine. This means we need a constant supply in order to maintain healthy levels of vitamin C.
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