Is diet cola part of your daily diet regimen? With its low calorie count, it may seem like a healthy choice. But trading in that low-calorie soft drink for a little spice and sizzle will help keep your heart strong and healthy.
The holidays are over, and even though we tried our best, one too many cocktails or sweet temptations may have breached our lips. It’s okay. It happens. Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett says don’t be too hard on yourself, shake it off and kick-start 2013 with a fresh nutrition and fitness outlook.
Celebrate the harvest season and thank your family and friends by serving a bounty of nutritious options this Thanksgiving. Overindulgence often goes hand-in-hand with the holiday season so in case your loved ones can’t resist, save them the guilt with these low calorie recipes. They’re delicious and nutritious too!
Along with a beautifully roasted turkey, dress your holiday table with an abundance of colorful food. Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett says that eating healthy can be just as filling and satisfying as those high calorie favorites.
Nutritional information can be found on most forms of processed food. The black and white Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods lists total calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates and more. Labels such as “trans-fat-free,” and “fat-free” tout health benefits, but aren’t always the best food choices.
Long summer days filled with sunshine and outdoor activities leave us yearning for light meals that don’t heat up the kitchen. The following salads serve four, are delicious, and provide the nutrients your body needs to recover from those sweet, summertime adventures.
Memorial Day is the official opening of swimsuit season. If thoughts of exposing your body make you want to hide in the dark, the following suggestions will steer you back into the light.
When spring rolls around, people often clean their bodies just as they would clean their homes. For thousands of years people have detoxified as a way to remove harmful substances from the body. Today, detox diets are one of the cornerstones of alternative health, and for some, a quick way to lose weight.
Our metabolism is like a combustion engine. It turns food into fuel, and it is responsible for producing, maintaining, and destroying material substances to drive vitality. Every part in our body depends on the metabolism of calories for energy, and a souped up engine burns most effectively.
When we feel stressed or depressed, we often reach for fatty comfort foods to alleviate the distress, and a recent scientific study uncovers why. Researchers at the University of Leuven in Belgium, found that consuming fat reduces negative emotion. The study discovered that participants who received fatty acids through a feeding tube were about half as sad as participants on a placebo.
With Thanksgiving behind us, Christmas and New Year’s are the next calorie spiked minefields. Whether it’s avoiding a “small piece” of every dessert, or celebrating with a little too much bubbly, you can enjoy yourself without adding extra calories.
Holiday meals are times of delight for those of us who enjoy family, friends and great food, but they can also be challenging while watching our weight. With a simple game plan for eating healthfully at gatherings, we can partake in all our favorite fare and still keep our figures in shape.
Would you like a quick and tasty way to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables in one convenient glass? Try making fresh juice at home. When juicing, the pulp is extracted, leaving you with a smooth, delicious, preservative-free beverage teeming with nutrients.
Medical experts tell us that all oils are not created equal, and although all of them contain fat, some fats are better for us than others. Doctors and other health professionals recommend using oils that are low in saturated and trans fats, such as olive oil, canola or other vegetable oils, in place of butter, margarine or shortening.
The warm days of June are punctuated by sweet flavors of fresh fruit that ripen during summer months. But did you know that in addition to tasting delicious, summer fruits are remarkably good for you?
As Easter approaches, our thoughts turn to eggs – for decorating, hunting and eating in a chocolate form.
When you need a physical boost, especially after an intense round of exercise, try eating some protein. As a building block for our muscles, eyes, teeth, skin, blood, nerves, lungs, brain, hair and nails, protein is a crucial element for strong, healthy bodies. Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett reminds us that eating protein after a workout helps your muscles re-energize faster, too.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, dreams come true, and phytochemicals bring about good health. That’s right! A rainbow doesn’t just lead to a pot of gold. If you eat foods according to the colors of the rainbow, it may lead to better health.
Why do most of us feel happy when the sun is shining? While it’s warming our bodies and allowing flowers to bloom, the sun’s rays are also providing healthy doses of Vitamin D, a nutrient that studies have shown helps elevate our mood.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – You read food labels. You avoid dining out. You eat plenty of veggies with every meal. So, why aren’t the numbers changing on your scale?
Unfortunately, most of us aren’t eating as healthy as we think we are. The basic rules of keeping calorie counts low, eating plenty of fruits & vegetables, and limiting refined sugars are vital. But, they’re just the beginning.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – It’s 3 p.m. You’re exhausted. You head towards the vending machine for a sugary pick-me-up to get you through the rest of the day. When you get home, you dive into bed at a reasonable hour. After all, a good night’s sleep is what you need to fight off this constant state of fatigue, right?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Everybody is giving nutrition advice these days. The clerk at your local drugstore, the radio DJ, and your friends on Facebook all have their favorite tips when it comes to healthy eating. The problem is that much of the nutrition advice we get from those around us is inaccurate.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Walnuts, peanuts, pecans and almonds. Nuts are all around us, and according to the newest research, these nutritional powerhouses can be genuine lifesavers. Just last month, researchers from Loma Linda University published an analysis of 25 studies, all of which link nut consumption to a healthy heart.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Thumping a watermelon. Grandma swears by this method when picking her fruit for the annual family Fourth of July picnic. This year, it’s your turn. You scurry to the grocery store, dash over to the fresh fruit section, and start thumping. There’s only one problem. You have no idea what sound your “thump” is supposed to elicit in the giant melon!
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Atkins. South Beach. The Zone. Everywhere you look, high-profile diets of the day promise a svelte physique if you pack on the protein and “eighty six” the carbs. So-called nutritional experts advise the elimination of carbs in favor of protein. Even basic supermarket foods showcase labels of high-protein and low carb content. Do we really need that much protein?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – We have all heard all about the carbohydrate craze. Some of the latest fad diets are banning carbs altogether, making all of us wonder… What exactly are carbohydrates and why is there such a campaign against consuming them?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – A little bite here. A small spoonful there. Just a taste, pinch, or lick. It seems so innocent. But, all that snacking can lead to an ever-expanding waistline and diet disaster!
(CARLSBAD, CA) – A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but Mary Poppins might just change her mind if she knew how much sugar Americans are actually consuming these days.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – So, you think you want to go vegetarian. Perhaps you’ve heard about the dangers of eating too much red meat. Maybe you’re setting a resolution to diet on fruits and veggies. Or it could be that your co-worker with the killer body has convinced you that going vegetarian is the ultimate key to weight-loss success.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – It’s turkey time! That means family gatherings, football games, and hours logged at the dining room table eating.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – To buy or not to buy? Organics, that is. It seems as if the grocery store carries organic versions of virtually every consumable product. How can you possibly know when it’s actually beneficial to buy organic foods, and when it is simply a waste of money?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” Guess what? It’s actually true! Countless studies over the past decade show that food not only affects your energy level and physique, but it actually impacts your risk factor for a myriad of health maladies. Some of the most recent health studies indicate that certain nutritional powerhouses can even minimize your risk for various forms of cancer.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Summer picnics are a perfect time to de-stress with family and friends in the great outdoors. Unfortunately, fattening foods often reign supreme at these seasonal gatherings, packing on unwanted extra pounds.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Feel like you’re going bananas eating the same fruits over and over? Are you begging for a few new fruits in your daily line-up, pretty please with a cherry on top?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Sure, you have good intentions. You want to eat healthy. But, it seems that nutritious fare is so much more costly than junk food. And in times of economic recession, saving a buck becomes a bigger priority than what you put into your stomach.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – May is National Fitness Month. And if there was ever a time to leave our couch potato culture behind and get moving, it’s now. Our children’s lives are depending on it!
(CARLSBAD, CA) – The famous comedian, Bob Hope, used to say that, “You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.” So, how close does your birthday cake resemble that statement?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Everywhere you look, it seems that detox diets are celebrated as the best way to drop pounds and shed unhealthy toxins. Hollywood’s A-listers are reportedly undergoing detox treatments. Spas and health food stores tout detox diets as an essential part of your weight-loss regimen. Even grocery and drug stores sell the latest detox drink, pill, or powder.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Don’t eat carbs, don’t skip breakfast, don’t ingest anything after 6 p.m. With all of the diet advice, tips and tricks available these days, how do you know which ones to follow? Take a look at these top ten diet myths and learn how to separate fact from fiction.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Valentine’s Day…It’s the season for heart-shaped candies, chocolate truffles, and giant-sized cookies. Love is in the air, but calories are in the edible gift exchanges. And while giving a box of chocolate-covered cherries may seem like an innocent, kind-hearted gesture, the toll that excess sugar takes on our health is reason to re-think your gifts from Cupid this year.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Good news! Vitamin C may not only be good for staving off a cold, it may actually reduce your potential risk for having a stroke.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – It’s a new year. Time for resolutions. Time for making changes. And if you’re like most Americans, your goals may include dropping a few pounds. So, you stock your fridge with fresh fruits and veggies, and you tell your family of your plans to steer clear of the breadbasket. But, is that enough?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Energy bars, power drinks, gel packs, and powder mixes. It’s a mass market for pre-workout snacks and beverages these days. But, do you really need all these? Not if you’re choosing the right foods.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – “Ho, ho ho!” “Tis the season to be jolly!” “Merry Christmas!” And “Would you like a refill on that eggnog?” The phrases of the holidays are joyful, uplifting, and … fattening!
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Vitamins. We all know that we need them. Most of us have tried Vitamin C to ward-off head colds and plenty of calcium to build strong bones. But one of the biggest superheroes in the vitamin world has been left out of the limelight, until now.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Broccoli. Cauliflower. Carrots. Fish. Foods packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You’re careful about what you put on your plate. But, is that enough?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – You’re busy. And your jam-packed schedule often means breakfast at Starbucks or a lunchtime drive-thru at the “golden arches.” But, you don’t worry too much about the calories. After all, you didn’t supersize anything. Or did you?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – You’ve tried it all before - counted calories, joined a weight-loss group, and exercised until you could hardly walk. And even if you succeed in dropping a couple of inches, the pounds seem to come back faster than they left.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Count calories, limit carbs, cut-down on saturated fat, increase fruits and vegetables. You know all the right things to eat. But, have you ever considered how you eat?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – It’s a typical Friday night. You meet your friends at a trendy restaurant, catch a flick at the local theater, and lounge in a nearby coffee shop listening to acoustic artists. It seems harmless. The only problem is the cheese fries that you split at the restaurant for an appetizer, the buttered popcorn that you passed back and forth down the aisle at the movies, and the cheesecake that you nursed alongside your cup of decaf at the café.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – The iced mocha in the morning, the Oreo cookie shake at lunchtime, the smoothie for a mid-afternoon snack, and the soda at dinnertime … they’re all part of the typical American diet. And they’re adding inches to our waistlines at an alarming rate! Liquid calories, those we take in from beverages, are one of the worst diet disasters of the 21st century.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Spinach in brownies, sweet potatoes in grilled cheese sandwiches, and avocado in chocolate pudding? According to Jessica Seinfeld, wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, these are just a few of the options available to parents who want to sneak a few vegetables into their children’s diets. Ms. Seinfeld’s bestseller, Deceptively Delicious, is just one of the many modern cookbooks making headlines for incorporating healthy foods into popular family favorites.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – You’ve seen it before. The person in the grocery store aisle who intently reads the back of each food label. After reading the labels on three of four products, they carefully place some back on the shelf and select just one for purchase. So, what determines the food that makes the cut? Is it calorie count? Is it fat grams? What’s most important on a food label?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – The results are in. The average American gains one to two pounds during the holiday season. That’s not so bad, right? Wrong!
(CARLSBAD, CA) – The annual routine is always the same. Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, stuff yourself full of turkey and gravy, indulge in a slice of fresh-baked pie, and then lounge on the couch for a full-stomach induced slumber. Round out the day with a couple of football games (viewing, not playing, that is), and your Thanksgiving is complete.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Gigantic portion sizes, sugary sodas, vending machine snacks, fast food, television, video games, sedentary lifestyles…all of these contribute to the obesity rate among American children. And the expanding waistlines of America’s youth are a super-sized problem.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – The results are in. Americans consume gargantuan quantities of sugar everyday. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans eat 31 teaspoons of sugar on a daily basis.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Popeye eats his spinach and gains supernatural strength, but the veggie-eating, bicep-bulging cartoon character isn’t enough to convince most Americans to follow suit. In fact, there appears to be a national distaste for leafy greens and their colorful counterparts.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Would you like to supersize that? Shall I show you the dessert menu? How about more chips and salsa? If any of these questions have a familiar ring, then you may be one of the many Americans who dines away from home approximately four times every week.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Fatigue, headaches, dry mouth, muscle weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness… all of these are symptoms that your body is dehydrated. A loss of just one or two percent of your body’s water weight can wipeout your energy levels, banishing you to the nearest sofa for a midday nap.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Women all over the world get weak in the knees when someone mentions the “m” word. Metabolism is a universal hot topic, as countless diets and fitness regimens promise to stoke the metabolic fires and bring lifelong change. So, what exactly is your metabolism, and can you really increase it?
(CARLSBAD, CA) – Variety is not only the spice of life; it may just save your life! That’s because people who eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables have significantly increased health benefits, according to a study published by Colorado State University.
(CARLSBAD, CA) – An apple a day may just keep the doctor away! That’s because fiber from apples, and other similar fruits, has been directly linked to reduced risk of serious medical conditions.
(CARLSBAD, CA) - Does healthful eating serve as a means to reduce the risk of heart disease? According to numerous researchers and prominent health organizations, including the American Heart Association, the answer is yes!
(CARLSBAD, CA) - All fats are not created equal. While many of us fixate on bathroom scale digits, research suggests that the actual location of excess fat is a bigger deal. Pear-shaped bodies, with fat situated around the hips and thighs, may be an unpleasing sight in the mirror. But apple-shaped bodies contain a greater amount of visceral fat, commonly known as “belly fat,” which is hazardous to your health.