Fitness Pudding - Where The Proof Is

We know the ‘quality’ of our food begets the ‘quantity’ of food and calories that we eat. Accordingly, the quality of fast food might place it in a category with junk food. Full-service restaurant food, on the other hand, might be placed in a healthier category, alongside its eclectic atmosphere, fancy linens, dimmed lighthing, and glass salt shakers. But, are people actually eating healthier by choosing restaurant food over fast food? A Recent Study This question...

Healthy buzzwords on food labels can be misleading.  Below is a recent press release from the American Marketing Association, investigating the effects of 'fitness' branded food on consumption in 'restrained' eaters. Restrained eaters are ridgid, chronic dieters who are commonly preoccupied with their weight, and subsequently inhibit certain 'forbidden' foods. But, when their diet is blown, they tend to binge and overeat. In other words, if a restrained eater has placed sweet foods on their forbidden...

Fat in food is, and might always be a hot and controversial topic. We learn something new everday that expands our understanding, allowing us to make educated decisions in our healthy eating lifestyles. Of course any change in our knowledge fuels controversy and debate amongst fat-inspired amateurs and aficionados, alike. If you are one of the many who are enthusiastic about fat in food, you might be interested in  a recent compilation by NutritionAction.com dedicated to...

8 cups per day, right? Well, my esteemed colleague, Dr. Michael Greger, put this question to the test, and I thought I would share his expert insight with you. Enjoy, as I go get me a glass of water. How Many Glasses of Water Should We Drink a Day?    

Glucomannan, the famous 'super-fiber' got a major boost this March (2015), when a review promoted its benefit in weight loss. However, a lot has happened since then! To some degree, this is an update to a previous blog on Fiber and Weight Loss . As noted in that blog, certain products, such as Skinny Fiber , endorse an incredible 'sponge-like' effect that apparently can absorb anything from water, to fat, to evil spirits.  Glucomannan (GM) This sponge-like...

After being out of town for the past week, I made a trip to the grocery store to replenish food for the house. I made my normal routine pass from the fresh vegetables and fruit, to the legumes, and finishing out through the frozen vegetables. While checking out, the young man bagging my groceries commented, "you have the weirdest variety of vegetables." Taking it as a compliment, I responded, "Thank you." After a deep pause, he...

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT: Would you call Chocolate Cheerios healthy if it said "all natural" on the box? Well, a recent study found that participants rated everything from Chocolate Cheerios, to soda and chips as more healthy, when the packaging contained buzzwords, such as: "Heart Healthy" – Chocolate Cheerios "Antioxidant" – Cherry 7-Up "All Natural" – Tostitos Try it for yourself On a scale from 0 (unhealthy) to 100 (healthy) Would you rate the following versions of apple...

Are you a "nibbler" or a "gorger"? Online reports are popping up, again, regarding a new study that challenges the notion that frequent, small meals is better than less, larger meals per day for weight loss. For example, Women's Health reposted a recent Time.com article, which states, "don't believe the hype, dieters. Eating five meals a day won't make you any skinnier, a new study shows." Actually, this new study is nothing new, but there is...

We have an obsession with Calories. We fear them, yet crave them. We want to watch them, count them, track them, calculate them, avoid them, and believe we can somehow burn them!? What is a Calorie? Energy is needed to make the body work, but we cannot directly measure this 'energy' in the body. However, we can attempt to measure the heat that is released when energy is used. Calories help us with this conundrum. A Calorie...

If I had a nickel everytime someone said eating healthy was too expensive, I would have enough money to actually eat healthy. To test this theory, I did my own little experiment with one meal. Based on my own shopping receipts, which is mainly whole vegetables, whole fruits and legumes, I made the following meal comparison table (my lunch one day). Food Serving Price Carb Fat Sat Fat Trans Fat Protein Fiber Calories Grilled Eggplant 1/2...